Sighing For The Silvery Moon

English music hall songs, often comical in nature, were ubiquitous in the United Kingdom from around 1850 until well after 1918. They reflected social, political, racial, and gender attitudes and served as condensed forms of communication for their respective eras.

Sighing for the Silvery Moon: English Music Hall Songs Reexamined by Benjamin Ivry—biographer and cultural journalist—focuses on the songs themselves, as preserved in early recordings and films. As mirrors of past sensibilities, they act as time capsules, revealing the hopes and character of a nation.

Table of contents and sample text