Demonstrates that music was a vital part of the daily routines of those interned in prisoner of war camps. The forming of orchestras and theatrical revues were a popular way of passing the time and maintaining morale, but in many cases musical activities were used by prisoners of war to conceal attempts to escape. This chapter will give examples of how prisoners of war used music as a means of keeping up their morale to stave off feelings of ‘mouldiness,’ later identified as barbed wire disease.

Provides a survey of the principle civilian concert parties which travelled to entertain servicemen throughout the war. The frontline tours undertaken by well-known entertainers such as Ellaline Terriss, Seymour Hicks and Harry Lauder will also be covered, showing how their appearances on the fighting fronts boosted servicemen’s morale but also how they played into a wider political agenda. Lena Ashwell’s collaboration with the YMCA will be explored through the diaries and correspondence of a myriad of performers and war workers, providing a deeper analysis of personnel who were key to the success of the Ashwell productions.

Examines the development of servicemen’s concert parties in the context of the rapid expansion of the fighting forces, and of the significant figures who were key to the provision of music for the purposes of recreation and amusement. This chapter will show that Britain’s armed forces each had a strong tradition of musical entertainments solely by servicemen for their comrades which was much bolstered by men who had been professional performers before they enlisted. Furthermore, this chapter will show that servicemen used the pantomime form to reinforce their belief that they were fighting in a just war.

Examines the role of music in religious worship and pastoral care on the fighting fronts. It will show how the singing of hymns was a central feature of several organizations’ work in drawing men towards their religious services and pastoral care, and of how they were deployed in times of great stress. It will show how many of the voluntary-aid organisations combined their own brands of practical Christian philanthropy and pastoral care to servicemen as a ‘counter-attraction’ to keep men away from less salubrious pursuits, as well as to educate and civilize servicemen and labourers fighting for Britain

Shows how music played a key part in the unit’s identity on land, at sea and in the air. The squadron songs of the RFC, for example, tell us a great deal about how airmen dealt with combat stress and fear. The singing of songs on the march or at rest was a vital component of regimental identity as well as discipline.

Provides the context of how and why military music was coordinated in the period immediately before the outbreak of the Great War. It will briefly trace the beginnings of Royal Marines Divisional Bands in the Royal Navy during the late eighteenth century, as well as the founding of the Royal Military School of Music at Kneller Hall, and the Royal Naval School of Music at Eastney Barracks, explaining how bandsmen were recruited, trained and deployed, and why music was a vital element of the services’ daily, ceremonial and wartime operations. This chapter will also engage with pre-war concerns expressed about the lack of music in Britain’s armed forces, and the wider debates about the quality and direction of British music in the Edwardian period.

Underlines that it is time to recognise the wartime endeavours of British musicians who served King and Country during the Great War. Amongst so much fear and death, music exuded life, purpose, identity and belonging. Music was not ephemeral; in all its different forms music was an essential and highly valued part of everyday life in Britain’s armed forces during the Great War.

The introduction explains why comparatively little is known about the musical cultures of the British armed forces despite music’s quotidian nature in the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force. This book will therefore examine the formal and informal applications of music in the British forces on land, sea and air, during their periods of work, rest and play, in military camps, on ships, in aerodromes, on the battlefields, in hospitals and prisoner of war camps, theatres, cinemas and canteen huts. It argues why the musical cultures of Britain’s armed forces should be examined in the social, cultural and military contexts in which they developed.

Examines the use of music in recruitment and fundraising. It will show how military musicians were mobilised in the early days of war, and the ways in which commanders had to cater for the newly expanded forces. It will look at how the civilian music industry responded to the start of the conflict, and the ways in which bands, concerts and other musical events were used for the purposes of supporting the war effort. This chapter will also provide a survey of the work of various committees established to support both the music industry, all of whom sought to both protect and maximise performers’ employment opportunities during the early years of the war.

Discusses the use of the gramophone for both educational and recreational purposes, showing how this developing technology was used on the fighting fronts in the maintenance of servicemen’s morale, as well as for medicinal and therapeutic uses in hospitals and convalescent homes.

Explains what happens to military music in the aftermath of the Great War. Briefly explains the establishment of the RAF Music School by Henry Walford Davies in 1918, and goes on to explain what happened to various organisations and individuals who have featured in the book. This chapter also features the role of music in remembrance, particularly in the first Festivals of Remembrance, 1923-27.