music – Manchester Historian

The 1960s were a period of cultural radicalism. During the civil rights era, counterculture became prevalent. From the hippie movement to London’s Notting Hill Carnival, cultural expression emerged not simply as a means of voicing oneself but also as a form of protest. Civil rights and music culture in America were notably intertwined and expressed in a range of genres such as folk and gospel through the voices of those including Jamila Jones, Pete Seeger and Mahalia Jackson. Martin Luther King Jr. would acknowledge songs of freedom as “playing a strong and vital role in our struggle” and their importance in establishing “a radiant hope, in the future, particularly in [the] most trying hours.”

The Sex Pistols’ gig at Manchester’s Lesser Free Trade Hall in June 1976 was recently voted one of the most influential gigs of all time. Seen as a critical moment in the emergence of the British punk movement and the proceeding post-punk scene. Despite hundreds of people claiming to have been there, in fact, there were only around 40 people in the audience, with tickets having been advertised in the small print of the Manchester Evening News for 50p each.

Fac 51 The Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue, most famous during the ‘Madchester’ years of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Zoey Strzalecki investigates its history.

Megan Dina Garlick explores how the modern carolling has formed from medieval liturgical songs, travelling to wish friends good fortune, and the nineteenth century carolling which defines another current Christmas tradition.

Having recently completed his MA, Wesley Davidson reflects on his specialism, Northern Soul.