George Orwell saw the patriotism of the British working class as an almost unconscious link with the middle and upper classes: 'Just because patriotism is all but universal and not even the rich are uninfluenced by it, there can be moments when the whole nation suddenly swings together, and does the same thing, like a herd of cattle facing a wolf' (The Lion and the Unicorn, 1941). Many working-class practices and institutions which embodied both this 'universal' patriotism and a desire for self-improvement were forged from a sturdy amalgam of tradition, religious observance, deference, support of the military, pride, dislike of change and adherence to class and community. The brass band movement in particular conformed to Orwell's view of things: it was very class-conscious, but it subscribed to ideologies which socialists believed were those of the ruling class.

LRB 5 April 2001 | PDF Download