BIBLIOGRAPHY AND LINKS

Blom, Eric. Music in England. England: Penguin Books, 1943.
Blom's book gives an overview of music in England from early 15th century to the 20th century. He focuses on major musical periods and influential composers.
Fiske, Robert and H. Diack Johnstone, editors. The Blackwell History of Music in Britain: The Eighteenth Century. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1990.
This book is a highly informational, detailed collection of chapters discussing all of the aspects of music in Britain in the eighteenth century. As well as offering an in-depth discussion of the music within the social context of the time, the book focuses on concert life in England, theater music, and music in the home. The discussion is historical as well as musicological, offering information on composers and literature. There is also a detailed discussion of church music and literature.
Gay, John. The Beggar's Opera. New York: The Heritage Press, 1937.
This edition of Gay's score includes an introduction by A.P. Herbett and illustrations by Monette Lydis. The introduction overviews the context for the opera's composition, the public's reaction to its performance, and the influence of the composition.
Grout, Donald Jay. A History of Western Music. New York: WW Norton and Company, Inc., 1973.
Grout's book gives a comprehensive overview of western music. The section on 18th century music in England gives a brief overview of the major composers and musical innovations of the time.
Guerinot, J.V. and Rodney D. Jilg. Contexts 1: The Beggar's Opera. Hamden: The ShoeString Press, Inc, 1976.
This book illuminates The Beggar's Opera by discussing the historical background of the work, including the literary, political, and musical contexts. Guerinot and Jilg provide musical examples and detailed analysis of the music.
Jones, Marion, Loftis, John, Scouten, A.H, and Southen, Richard. The Revels History of Drama in English, Volume V, 1660-1750. Methuen & Co, Ltd: London, 1976.
This book provides extensive coverage of dramatic literature, productions, and theatre culture of the late seventeenth and eighteenth century. Tables, timelines, and illustrations are among the helpful resources of the book.
Krutch, Joseph Wood. Comedy and Conscience After the Restoration. Colombia University Press: New York, 1949.
This book is a revised dissertation discussing the moral dilemmas raised by movements of dramatic literature in the eighteenth century. Each movement is covered in depth and is accompanied by extensive historical, social and political background.
Moore, Cecil A. Introduction, Twelve Famous Plays of the Restoration and Eighteenth Century. New York: Random House, 1933.
This anthology features twelve plays by English playwrights between 1672-1777. The introduction, written by Cecil A Moore, provides background on the history of the restoration, dramatic and literary movements of the time, and historical and literary context for the plays included in the anthology.
Nicoll, Allardyce. British Drama. Barnes & Noble, Inc: New York, 1962.
This book provides a survey of the history of British Drama from its earliest times to the early twentieth century. Each period of drama provides information about movements, trends, and actual dramatic material.
Parke, William. Musical Memoirs; comprising an account of the General State of Music in England, From the First Commemoration of Handel, in 1784, to the Year 1830. London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1830.
This primary source is a set of volumes of memoirs written by W.T. Parke, a professional musician (principal oboist of the Royal Covent Garden Theater for forty years.) The memoirs offer musical and histrionic anecdotes that offer an insider's look into the world of music and musicians of 18th-century London.
Robins, Brian. "The Catch Club in 18th Century England." Early Music, UK, no 4: 517-29. November 2000.
Music in 18th Century England had little definable national character, largely dominated by foreign composers. Robins discusses the history of and driving force behind the emergence of the glee and catch clubs established to encourage a repertory of music by English composers.
Rohr, Deborah. The Careers of British Musicians, 1750-1850: A Profession of Artisans. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
Rohr's book discusses the role of the British musician in society. She writes about who was playing, what they were playing, and how the public received them. This book gives a sense of what it was like during the eighteenth century in England to make a career out of being a musician, including the repertoire, the pay, and the status.
Schultz, William Eben, Ph.D. Gay's Beggar's Opera: It's Context, History and Influence. New York: Russell and Russell, 1967.
Schultz goes into depth on the context, history and influence of John Gay's The Beggar's Opera. He includes information on the development of the opera, the public's reaction and the influence of the opera on the larger music world of the time.
Weber, William. The Rise of Musical Classics in Eighteenth-Century England: A Study in Canon, Ritual and Idealogy. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1992.
Weber's book focuses on the major contributions of composers in 18th century England. He writes about the development of the musical canon and why certain compositions were more influential than others. He goes into depth on the concerts of Antient Music that developed during the 18th century. These concerts were created to showcase the musical classics of the time and their programs reveal much about what music was popular and respected.
Winton, Calhoun. John Gay and the London Theatre. University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, 1993.
In this book, Calhoun presents Gay and how his work as a dramatist fits within the London theatrical scene. The study is chronological; Calhoun begins with Gay's The Mohocks and ends with The Distress'd Wife.
Young, Percy M. A History of British Music. London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1967.
Young's book traces British music history from its origins to modern times of the 20th century. Particularly helpful for this project were the chapters on "English Baroque" and "The Age of Handel."