'Deft handling of abundant archive material, woven into a tight, instructive narrative, brings to the fore the two issues about music's identity and status that drive the author's principal themes: art or science? professional or liberal form of study?' Fontes Artis Musicae ’Golding’s book is an important and readable foray into an under-explored aspect of British musical history. Thoroughly researched, it raises questions about music curricula that preoccupy us still. ... a generous number of appendices ... give an indication of the huge amount of material the author had to plough through in order to present such a clear narrative. Golding provides many insights and analyses of a complicated period in British musical history, re-introducing us to a number of forgotten but worthy figures, and as such her book is to be warmly welcomed’. NABMSA