Why Is The Catch Club An Important Part Of Social Life In England?

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“Glee music forms a splendid literature in itself. It is thoroughly English in style, manly, straightforward and vigorous, with a tenderness and pathos, which like the veins in marble take away nothing of its solidity, but adds greatly to its beauty” (Robins, “The Catch Club,” 517). In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, catch clubs and glees were a very important part of social life in England for many reasons. Although these clubs are associated with London more than anywhere else in England, it does not take away from its significant role in Canterbury culture. The creation of the Canterbury Catch Club is just as noteworthy as those in other parts of England and it was the main foundation for social life in the city for that time as a result of the Industrial Revolution happening in England. Not only was the club important in the Victorian Era, but we can now look back on it and it helps us understand Canterbury culture as it is today, as well as the impact these clubs had on …show more content…

Many of the compositions were written more for private amusement rather than for audiences (“Catches and Glees in the Jerwood Library,” 1). As previously stated, catch and glee singing was distinctively a male activity, enjoyed in the exclusivity of a male audience in social clubs and societies. Nonetheless, toward the end of the century there was a growing effort to appeal more to women and the presence of sexual content greatly decreased in its composition (7). Gladstone, Boas, and Christopherson explain the songs of the club as well as that, “it was the purpose of the club to sing the vocal music of the day” (29). Therefore, the songs of the club were to represent the life and culture of England at the time they were composed. These songs would relay the feelings of the time, but in a more humorous way to cope with societal

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