From Renaissance princes and popes to modern-day democrats and dictators, those who rule countries, religious communities and empires have often kept a close watch on singers, songs and those who compose them. Equally, song has often been used as a subversive weapon, a tool of protest and a call to arms, as well as to bolster communal or national pride and morale. The tensions around songs and singers are no less prominent today than in the past, as is shown by the recent controversies surrounding what gets broadcast from the Glastonbury Festival, who gets to sing at Covent Garden, or which nations are allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. But does music have a real capacity to change society, rather than merely acting as a vent for strong emotions? How does singing affect us as individuals? Can it actually make us feel better – physically, mentally and spiritually? Can it change minds? Conversely, can the withdrawal of opportunities to sing, whether for political, religious or medical reasons, be regarded as a crime against humanity? And does the act of singing as a community bind us together, or reinforce tribal divisions?
Richard Morrison has worked for The Times for more than 40 years, first as a classical music and opera critic, then as arts editor and now as chief culture writer. For the past three decades he has written a wide-ranging weekly column commenting on the impact of the arts on society and politics, and vice versa. He also writes a monthly column in the BBC Music Magazine and is an occasional broadcaster on BBC Radio 3. His centenary history of the London Symphony Orchestra was acclaimed as a “warts-and-all” chronicle of an orchestra’s struggle to survive, flourish and make great music through the turmoil of the 20th century. Educated at University College School and Magdalene College, Cambridge, he has also been the organist and director of music at a North London parish church for all his adult life. He is married and has four children.