7 ‘Sing of the warriors of labour’
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Kate Bowan
Abstract
Chartism continued to radicalise religion and in so doing produced a democratic hymnody, one that was infused with the rugged independence typical of the proud working-class tradition of self-help. Hymns then became part of radical political discourse and the fight for democratic reform. This chapter looks both at how Chartist hymnbooks operated as a kind of ideological manifesto and at how hymns worked in action. Owenism and Chartism were linked in innumerable ways: most Owenites were in fact Chartists, but not all Chartists were Owenites. As both movements declined many Chartists and Owenites looking for new articulations of radical thought gravitated toward secularism. The Labour Church was John Trevor's attempt to provide the working classes with an alternative to secularism. From the outset it was underpinned by a synthesis between radical politics and Christian morality. An important adjunct to the musical culture of the church was an appropriate hymnbook.
Abstract
Chartism continued to radicalise religion and in so doing produced a democratic hymnody, one that was infused with the rugged independence typical of the proud working-class tradition of self-help. Hymns then became part of radical political discourse and the fight for democratic reform. This chapter looks both at how Chartist hymnbooks operated as a kind of ideological manifesto and at how hymns worked in action. Owenism and Chartism were linked in innumerable ways: most Owenites were in fact Chartists, but not all Chartists were Owenites. As both movements declined many Chartists and Owenites looking for new articulations of radical thought gravitated toward secularism. The Labour Church was John Trevor's attempt to provide the working classes with an alternative to secularism. From the outset it was underpinned by a synthesis between radical politics and Christian morality. An important adjunct to the musical culture of the church was an appropriate hymnbook.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Founding editor’s introduction x
- Acknowledgements xii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Songs of the world 32
- 2 The sound of marching feet 100
- 3 Votes for a song 140
- 4 ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’ 165
- 5 Music, morals and the middle class 228
- 6 The challenges of uplift 264
- 7 ‘Sing of the warriors of labour’ 294
- Conclusion 345
- Index 363
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Dedication v
- Contents vii
- List of figures viii
- Founding editor’s introduction x
- Acknowledgements xii
- Introduction 1
- 1 Songs of the world 32
- 2 The sound of marching feet 100
- 3 Votes for a song 140
- 4 ‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’ 165
- 5 Music, morals and the middle class 228
- 6 The challenges of uplift 264
- 7 ‘Sing of the warriors of labour’ 294
- Conclusion 345
- Index 363
