Hall, Duncan (2000) A pleasant change from politics : the musical culture of the British labour movement, 1918-1939. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The history of the inter-war labour movement in Britain had an endless, eclectic
musical accompaniment. There were sentimental and comic ballads at social events,
socialist hymns at meetings and services, massed choirs and full orchestras, soloists
with voice and with instruments, dance bands, jazz bands, brass bands and serious
composers.
Alongside the performance and enjoyment of music there was a great deal of
theorising on the subject. Why was music important? What was the source of its
power? What was the difference between 'good' and 'bad' music? To whom did
music belong? Did it have special usefulness for the labour movement or was it just
'a pleasant change from politics'?
This thesis concerns itself with the practical use labour activists made of music in
entertaining the comrades, propagating the socialist message and raising funds as well
as the formation of musical organisations and societies within the movement and the
special place given to music and song during times of struggle. In so doing it
attempts to sketch both a national picture and a more detailed look at the musicality of
selected local areas. It also examines the intellectual development of labour theories
of music. As this period was one of great upheaval and change in both the worlds of
labour politics and popular music alike, so important changes in labour music and
labour approaches to music are identified.
The developments in musical thought, fed by changes in international socialist
ideas about music on the one hand and the experience of seeing music used as a
'weapon' in specific struggles on the other, led to changes in the form and nature of
labour music as well as its intended function. It is the assertion of this thesis that such
changes had cultural consequences stretching far beyond the inter-war British labour
movement.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) > JN101 Great Britain M Music and Books on Music > ML Literature of music
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Labor movement -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century, Labor movement -- Great Britain -- Songs and music, Political ballads and songs -- Great Britain
Official Date:	November 2000
Dates:	Date Event November 2000 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Mason, Tony, 1938- ; Steedman, Carolyn
Sponsors:	University of Warwick
Extent:	[6], 257 leaves
Language:	eng

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