Introduction

Summary

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.