Violin Culture in Britain, 1870–1930

Interweaving a social history of string playing with a collective biography of its participants, this book identifies and maps the rapid nationwide development of activities around the violin family in Britain from the 1870s to about 1930. Highlighting the spread of string playing among thousands of people previously excluded from taking up a stringed instrument, it shows how an infrastructure for violin culture coalesced through an expanding violin trade, influential educational initiatives, growing concert life, new string repertoire, and the nascent entertainment and catering industries. Christina Bashford draws a freshly broad picture of string playing and its popularity, emphasizing grassroots activities, amateurs' pursuits, and everyday work in the profession's underbelly—an approach that allows many long-ignored lives to be recognized and untold stories heard. The book also explores the allure of stringed instruments, especially the violin, in Britain, analyzing and contextualizing how the instruments and their players, makers, and collectors were depicted and understood.

Contents

Introduction; 1. Growth of a culture; Part I. People and Practicalities: 2. Starting out: equipment and instruction; 3. Moving along: learning and attainment; 4. Advanced training; 5. Worlds of work; 6. Playing together (1): 'Chamber' music; 7. Playing together (2): Amateur orchestras; Part II. The Conceptual Presence of Strings: 8. The Idea of the violin: associations and allure; 9. Sounding the nation(s); Conclusion.