This is, of course, absurd. Victorians and pre-Victorians did compose music – hours and hours of it – but for most of the nineteenth century music critics and other commentators judged it to be of poor quality, especially when compared with the best, or even the second-best, of what was coming from the Continent. But one thing at which Victorians were adept with music – serious music – was ignoring it. Serious music – opera, orchestral and choral music – was always very much a minority interest, although participation in amateur choirs grew throughout the century. Of the prominent writers and ‘prophets’ of the times – Coleridge, Carlyle, J.S. Mill, Herbert Spencer, Ruskin, Matthew Arnold, T.H. Green – only Ruskin and Spencer took any interest in music. Ruskin’s contributions to the subject were gathered into a single slim volume. Spencer theorised about the origins of music in human evolution. The widespread indifference of the public was a matter of great concern to those who were passionate about music, who expressed their concerns in the growing range of periodicals, specialist and non-specialist, that appeared during the century. Some of these writers were music critics and made regular contributions; others wrote occasionally or submitted ‘letters to the editor’. Of particular concern to them was the quality of composition, especially native composition.

Commentators (a general term covering both professional critics and other writers) expressed opinions not only on the quality of the music itself – native and foreign – but on the conditions that inhibited the advance of English composition. Their critical commentary embodies a fierce debate that was taking place throughout the century about the progress and regress of music. This book charts and analyses this debate. Its evidence base is a very wide range of contemporary periodicals, specialist and non-specialist. It is a study of reception, if this term is taken in a broad sense. In addition to evaluating compositions, commentators argued about the strengths and failings of the many efforts that were being made to improve both the status and the quality of English music. They were viewing the game from the touchline, assessing the moves made, calling for changes, applauding successes and lamenting failures. As will be seen, in the process they were laying bare, either explicitly or by implication, the criteria for their judgements. Nationalism became a prominent issue in the debate.