Alan Bush - Music and Politics

Music and Politics

He was known as an outspoken advocate of Marxism, holding posts as conductor of the London Labour Choral Union and in 1936 was co-founder of the Workers' Music Association, and later its President. Bush composed the music for and conducted the choir at the Pageant of Labour at the Crystal Palace on 15–20 October 1934. This influence can also be seen in many of his works, including the operas Wat Tyler (1948–50) and Men of Blackmoor (1954–55), and his piano concerto which has a communist text declaimed by a male chorus in the last movement. An embargo on his work at the end of the war by the establishment led to Ralph Vaughan Williams refusing a BBC commission in protest, even though he did not share Bush's political views.

Other works include four symphonies (No. 1 in C; No. 2, The Nottingham; No. 3, Byron Symphony and No. 4, Lascaux Symphony); Variations, Nocturne and Finale on an English Sea-song, Op. 60, for piano and orchestra; and Songs of the Doomed.