The British Music Society was first set up in 1918 by

Arthur Eaglefield Hull Arthur Eaglefield Hull (10 March 1876 – 4 November 1928) was an English music critic, writer, composer and organist.

to "advance the cause of British music at home and abroad". Its address was 19

Berners Street Berners Street is a thoroughfare located to the north of Oxford Street in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, originally developed as a residential street in the mid-18th century by property developer William Berners (property d ...

in London. The supporting committee included influential names such as

Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult, CH (; 8 April 1889 – 22 February 1983) was a British conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family, he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London ...

, W. W. Cobbett, E. J. Dent, E. H. Fellowes and

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. The Society put on concerts and talks, set out to establish a catalogue of British music, and published a regular bulletin.

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

's Violin Sonata in E minor was first performed on 13 March 1919 at a semi-public meeting of the Society, performed by W. H. Reed with

Anthony Bernard Anthony Bernard (25 January 18916 April 1963) was an English conductor, organist, pianist and composer. Early life Anthony Bernard's birth was registered as Alan Charles Butler in West Ham, then classified as Essex, in early 1891. His mother wa ...

on piano. The first performance (in its orchestral version) of ''

The Lark Ascending "The Lark Ascending" is a poem of 122 lines by the English poet George Meredith about the song of the skylark. Siegfried Sassoon called it matchless of its kind, "a sustained lyric which never for a moment falls short of the effect aimed at, s ...

'' by

Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams ( ; 12 October 1872– 26 August 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over ...

was presented at a BMS concert in the

Queen's Hall The Queen's Hall was a concert hall in Langham Place, London, Langham Place, London, opened in 1893. Designed by the architect Thomas Knightley, it had room for an audience of about 2,500 people. It became London's principal concert venue. Fro ...

on 14 June 1921, with Marie Hall (soloist) and the British Symphony Orchestra conducted by Adrian Boult. But the Society lapsed in 1928 after Eaglefield-Hull's death. By 1933 it had been dissolved, claiming it had fulfilled its original objectives of promoting British music and improving the standard of music and musical awareness in Britain. There were also several branches around the world including one in

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

and one in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. The British Music Society of York was also an offshoot of the original BMS, and continues to operate today under that name. The British Music Society as it is today was revived in 1979 and granted charitable status in 1995. It promotes and sponsors recordings (via its own original label and a more recent partnership with the

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

record label) and issues printed publications, including a newsletter and the annual ''British Music Journal''. There is also a biennial BMS Awards competition. The Society has around 600 members.British Music Society website
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References

{{reflist

External links

British Music Society Website
Contemporary music organizations Music journals Non-profit organisations based in the United Kingdom Music charities based in the United Kingdom Music organisations based in the United Kingdom Cultural organisations based in London Classical music in the United Kingdom