Legacies of War: Popular Music of the First World War

The Clothworkers Consort of Leeds directed by Bryan White

Duncan Boutwood (Piano)

The popular music of the First World War is often assumed to be the music specifically produced during 1914-18. Yet music popular in the years before the war also played a part in the entertainments that did so much to boost morale. It is for this reason that this concert spans a period from 1910 to 1918. There are two other assumptions that the concert brings into question. One is that typical songs of this period were largely about patriotism, and the other is that all the songs were of British origin. Many people think first of music-hall songs as typical music of the War. While not neglecting the music hall, this concert also features other popular music of the time: drawing-room ballads, musical comedy numbers and, perhaps surprisingly, music from English adaptations of German operettas.

Clothworkers Centenary Concert Hall, School of Music, University of Leeds
Tickets: £10
Free (students and under 16s)

6:30pm - Pre-Concert Talk - Dr Emma Hanna

Dr Emma Hanna, from the University of Kent, discusses Music and Morale in Britain During the First World War.