Taking Grainger's views as his starting point and heading each chapter with a quotation from Grainger's writings, John Blacking restates and reflects upon observations and attitudes relevant to contemporary problems of ethnomusicology and music education. Professor Blacking discusses these issues in the light of his own research, musical experience and convictions.
1. 'The complexity of folk music': evolution, invention and diffusion in music; 2. 'The impress of personality in unwritten music': music as a means of communication and ethnomusicology as social science; 3. 'Irregular rhythms': movement, dance, music and ritual; 4. 'The world's most lovely melodies': form and feeling in unwritten music; 5. Democratic polyphony: political and musical freedom; 6. 'the goal of musical progress': music as work or as leisure?; 7. 'Let all the world hear all the world's music': popular music-making and music education; Appendix A. A common sense view of all music Percy Grainger; Appendix B. Musical transcription Percy Grainger; Notes; Bibliography; Index.
