Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

About the museum

The Bate Collection began in 1963, when Philip Bate gave the University of Oxford his collection of European orchestral woodwind instruments. He later added many more instruments as gifts and loans. His gift was made on the condition that students should be able to play the historic instruments, so the collection is unusual in that many of its objects are used.

Other major groups were added over the years, among them the Reginald Morley-Pegge collection of horns and other brass and woodwind, the Anthony Baines collection, the Edgar Hunt collection of recorders, several keyboard collections and the tools of the bow-maker William Retford. Anthony Baines became the first full-time curator in 1970. The Zoffany painting of the Sharp family is represented by six surviving instruments held on long-term loan.

The museum describes the collection as one of the most comprehensive in Britain for woodwind, brass and percussion. More than a thousand instruments are on display, made by leading English, French and German makers, showing how wind and percussion instruments developed from the Renaissance and Baroque to modern times, with a global perspective that includes a Javanese gamelan. The collection is also used for research, teaching and workshops for schools and is accredited under the Arts Council England scheme. It is now housed in the Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities on Woodstock Road.

Highlights

• More than a thousand woodwind, brass, keyboard and percussion instruments on display
• Instruments by leading English, French and German makers
• Javanese gamelan
• Six surviving instruments from Zoffany's painting of the Sharp family
• Historic keyboards including harpsichords, virginals and clavichords
• Free entry

Permanent exhibitions

• Permanent collection of historical instruments – More than a thousand woodwind, brass, keyboard and percussion instruments showing how they developed from the Renaissance to modern times.
• Javanese gamelan – A Javanese gamelan, part of the museum's global collection of percussion instruments.

Founded

1968

Operated by

University of Oxford (Faculty of Music; Gardens, Libraries and Museums)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission to the museum is free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The Schwarzman Centre has a level route from the pavement to the front door, wide powered entrance doors, step-free access and lifts to all floors. The Bate Collection is on the ground floor. Accessible toilets are on all floors and a Changing Places toilet is near the large performance hall in the basement. Hearing support systems are available in teaching and performance spaces. Nine Blue Badge spaces are at the building, and visitors should email the centre's operations team in advance to arrange parking; there are also public Blue Badge spaces on Walton Street.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The education team runs workshops for primary and secondary school groups.

Getting there & parking

The museum is inside the Schwarzman Centre in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, next to the Radcliffe Observatory. It can be reached on foot from Walton Street in Jericho (main pedestrian entrance near the Blavatnik School of Government), from Woodstock Road (gate 7 before the Andrew Wiles Building), or from St Giles via Woodstock Road.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

There is a café area on the ground floor of the building. The museum shop sells recordings, publications and technical drawings and is available online.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit