Jack Goldstein, a Musicologist studying a Masters in Contemporary Music Studies at Goldsmiths University in London has just presented a lecture at the prestigious RMS/BFE Conference in Canterbury, focusing on the effects on the brass band movement following the end of the historic 1984 Miners Strike.
Cultural pluralism
The annual conference brings together research students from every corner of music study who are invited to present lectures covering aspects as diverse as cultural pluralism, legacy and parody, phenomenology and politics amongst others.
Diverse presentations this year included 'Neonationalism and the Public Face of Soviet Music in 1936'; 'Temporal Dissonance in Polytemporal Composition'; 'The contrasting ways in which composers work with artists in other disciplines' and 'Vinyl records vs. digital ephemera: Does the medium of music consumption matter'?
Socio-Political and cultural history
Jack presented 'The Valley's Again Red: The Fallout of the UK Miners' Strike on The British Brass Band Movement and the Paths Towards a Progressive Resuscitation' — his analysis of the socio-political and cultural history of the British Brass Band movement from the 1984 UK Miner's Strike to present day.
It is a topic that has been touched upon on 4BR with his article, 'A Question of Reality: The perception of brass bands in modern day Britain' which was published in August 2016, and it is one that he told 4BR brought a great deal of interest and debate from delegates.
The importance of the brass band movement to the political and cultural history of the UK cannot be under estimated. It is as relevant now as it has ever been, and I hope the response to my lecture showed thatJack Goldstein
Honour
"It was a real honour to be asked to present a lecture at the conference — and heartening to see it gain so much interest and debate.
The importance of the brass band movement to the political and cultural history of the UK cannot be under estimated. It is as relevant now as it has ever been, and I hope the response to my lecture showed that."
Jack Goldstein 4BR article:
http://www.4barsrest.com/articles/2016/1570.asp
