Colloquy: Studies of Music in the British Empire: Past, Present, Future

In this Colloquy, six scholars from various heritages and scholarly backgrounds take account of the past, present, and future status of scholarship about music and music making across parts of the British Empire. The starting point is a discussion of Jeffrey Richards’ foundational book, Imperialism and Music: Britain, 1876–1953, published almost twenty-five years ago. This text has been key to many scholars working on Britain and the music of Empire since then, but the scholarly territory or domain of British imperialism has changed dramatically in the last quarter of a century. In the Colloquy, six scholars reflect on some of the key attributes of Richards’ book by considering its strengths and limitations, as well as the ideas it can spark for us today.