Charles Dickens and Music

Book excerpt: First published in 1912, this was the first work to inquire into the many musical references in Dickens's works and the interesting light those references shed on ordinary musical life in the English household, the various instruments to be found there, certain songs and singers, and the place of church music in the home. Includes six valuable lists of musical references in Dickens and his times. This examination of the various musical references in Dickens' works is of the utmost importance from the historical point of view, for they reflect the general condition of ordinary musical life in England during the middle of the 19th century. This title is cited and recommended by the Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature.