Abiding memories: the community singing movement and English social life in the 1920s

The community singing movement was a distinctive feature of English popular musical life in the mid-1920s. Although initiated by individuals who saw it as essentially educational, it was rapidly appropriated by sections of the press, and especially the Daily Express, as an instrument in the circulat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPopular music Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 117 - 133
Main Author RUSSELL, DAVE
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.01.2008
Subjects
20th century
Communities
Community
Distinctive features
English
Hymns
Music
Music history
Musical performance
Musical register
Politics
Popular culture
Popular music
Popular songs
Singers
Singing
Songbooks
Vocal music
United Kingdom > UK
England
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Summary:The community singing movement was a distinctive feature of English popular musical life in the mid-1920s. Although initiated by individuals who saw it as essentially educational, it was rapidly appropriated by sections of the press, and especially the Daily Express, as an instrument in the circulation wars of the period. It was typified by a restricted range of music comprising ‘national’ songs, hymns (with the performance of ‘Abide with Me’ at the FA Cup Final singing particularly important), and songs of the First World War. This mixture and the concomitant neglect of modern popular song reflects the rather nostalgic thrust behind activities, with calls for community singing to recreate a ‘Merrie England’ that would heal the deep social divisions of the 1920s. Whether the singers were fully aware of these various musical and socio-political agendas is unclear, but community singing undoubtedly enjoyed a period of considerable popularity, with the music appreciated for allowing displays of individual and collective emotion.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0261-1430
1474-0095
DOI:10.1017/S0261143008001505