Tells the story of the English classical music and opera composed and revived for the Festival, and explores how these long-overlooked components of the Festival helped define English music in the post-war period. It looks closely at the work of the chartered Arts Council of Great Britain.
Tonic to the Nation tells the story of the English classical music and opera composed and revived for the Festival of Britain, and explores how these long-overlooked components of the Festival helped define English music in the post-war period. Drawing on a wealth of archival material, Lew looks closely at the work of the newly chartered Arts Council of Great Britain, which was responsible for devising many musical programs for the Festival. These programs brought audiences to hear new and old national music and helped frame the national repertory, negotiating between the conflicting demands of conservative and progressive tastes, and using music to forge new national definitions.
'This book will be of great interest to musical, social and political historians as they seek to better understand the cultural implications of post-Second World War Britain, and the attempts made to mould an artistic response to the both the optimism and the hardships following the end of hostilities.' - John France, MusicWeb International
