This varied and thought-provoking collection is the first to turn sustained musicological attention to the myriad ways in which nautical themes have conditioned...British music. MUSIC & NOTES The subject matter is rich: numerous composers and song-writers over the centuries have treated the sea as muse, and this book covers a diverse range of types of work, ... Read morefrom symphonies to sea shanties. [...] As the book's reference to the 'musical imagination' implies, its focus is not exclusively upon musical works and composers; rather, there are many interesting forays here into the broader musical and social contexts and practices surrounding them. [...]There is much here that is intriguing and even moving - [...] something that can rarely be said of an academic book. An additional bonus, finally, is the way in which the book's focus on less predictable repertory invites the reader to venture out on his or her own voyage of musical discovery.
Alexandra Wilson, Oxford Brookes University Show Less