From Mummers to Madness

A Social History of Popular Music in England, c.1770s to c.1970s

Bibliographic Data

ID7437871
AuthorsDavid Taylor (0000-0002-6098-5636, corresponding author)
Year2021
Publication date2021-08-31
Open AccessYes
TypeBOOK
VenueFrom Mummers to Madness (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherUniversity of Huddersfield Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.5920/mummers
OpenAlexW3198459625
ISBN9781862181939
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited3

Introduction: How can I keep from singing ... and dancing?Enjoy yourself it's later than you think Enjoy yourself while you're still in the pink.The years go by as quickly as a wink Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself It's later than you think.Madness, 'Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think)' for many years popular music was looked down upon in academia, though few matched Hugo Reimann's dismissive comment that it embodied 'the lowest musical instincts of the masses addicted to arsehole art.' 1 From the 1960s onwards this changed dramatically as academics from various disciplineshistory, musicology, sociology and others -started to pay serious attention to popular culture in general and popular music in particular. 2 As a consequence, there has been a growing number of books, articles and PhDs devoted to various aspects of popular music.However, it remains the case that few attempts have been made to provide a broader overview.This is disappointing, as Dave Russell's outstanding pioneering study, Popular music in England, 1840-1914 was first published over thirty years ago. 3 Given the sheer volume of material, primary and secondary, not to mention conceptual complexities, it is not entirely surprising.Ignoring Johnny Mercer's observation -'fools rush in where wise men never go' -From Mummers to Madness is a social history of popular music in England from the late-eighteenth century to the late-twentieth, which explores the popular songs from mummers to madness 10.5920

Music History and Culture · Theater, Performance, and Music History

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