From its first appearance, this volume has been considered a standard text in music education courses worldwide, tracing the development of music as an educational force from the dawn of European civilisation in ancient Crete, Sparta, and Athens to today. It is a fascinating exploration of the people involved in teaching music over the centuries and their whole way of life, providing a systematic survey of the educational, musical, religious, social and political factors that have led to what is now known as music education; substantial reference is made to trends and events in other lands as well as England. This second edition includes supplementary chapters investigating the recent history of music education, bringing the historical record up to date, and there is a foreword by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of the Queen’s Music.