In the more remote days of the late seventeenth century, it is possible to catch only a glimpse of the role of the flageolet within the context of musical practice. In Chapter 2 I outlined the use of the instrument by the amateur musician Samuel Pepys, its use in theatre music, and the suggestion that it was appropriate for ladies to play. Similarly, Chapter 3, in its account of the flageolet during the eighteenth century, covers the period when it was almost totally eclipsed by the recorder. In the nineteenth century, however, the flageolet (certainly in England but also on mainland Europe) reached the climax of its popularity, and the present chapter seeks to place the instrument within a social context, due regard having previously been paid to its organology, pedagogy and repertoire.

Before beginning an account of the flageolet in relation to public and private performance both amateur and professional, we should take a brief look at nineteenth-century society: the following review outlines the environment in which the flageolet was made, played and heard, noting social factors regarding matters of social class, finance, gender and performance venues.

Nineteenth-Century Society

At the beginning of the nineteenth century the majority of the population of England resided in rural areas (70% in 1801), whereas by 1901 80% lived in towns. There was a substantial increase in population, the figure of 8.3 million in 1800 doubling by 1851, and the process of urbanisation was substantially related to industrialisation, with manufacturing industry becoming the dominant feature of England’s economy by the beginning of the twentieth century.

The Class System and Its Impact on Musical Activity

The nineteenth century was possessed of a complex hierarchy of social classes, a matter of considerable significance in the field of music-making as different classes both listened to and played or sang different types of music. However, music itself sometimes served to break down the barriers of class in that social classes could come together in musical performance.

At the bottom of the social hierarchy lay the working classes, ranging from casual workers through men with small regular incomes to highly paid skilled workers. Many of the industrialised working classes lived (and worked) in appalling conditions, malnutrition and disease being rife, and there was little or no money available for leisure pursuits such as music.