Music and Politics in Thirties Britain: Raise the Standard High

This book explores the relationship between music, musicians, and fascism in Britain during the 1930s, providing a fresh perspective on British music history and the cultural turn in studies of British fascism. It highlights the complexities and contradictions of British music in the 1930s and the overlap between ideas of the BUF and more progressive musicians.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 266 pages
Publication date: 27 June 2024
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Radical domestic politics, musical experimentation, advancing technology, and the influence of migration from Europe and Britain's enrichment from it all had their effects on a remarkable year in musical cultural life in the mid-30s. This book looks at the little-known aspect of music and politics in domestic Britain in 1934, a pivotal year in terms of political and cultural developments. John Morris treads new ground by examining the relationship between music, musicians, and fascism – an area overlooked by existing scholarship. The book expertly traces the complexities and contradictions of British music history in the 1930s as musicians like others in the Arts attempted to engage with the political turmoil of the period. John Morris exemplifies the "cultural turn" in studies of British fascism and also shows the overlap between ideas of the BUF and more progressive musicians. The result is a stimulating addition to existing scholarship that will be of interest to scholars and students alike.

Weight: 460g
Dimension: 232 x 152 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781350271234