Charles Dickens and Music

In Short

This study explores the extensive and varied musical references embedded within the novels and letters of Charles Dickens. By cataloging the popular songs, street music, instruments, and choral traditions of the mid-nineteenth century, the book provides a unique cultural history of the era. It demonstrates that for the middle and lower classes, music was not merely entertainment but a vital tool for illustrating character, setting the tone of a scene, and reflecting the social realities of the time, ultimately uncovering an intimate, lesser-known aspect of the author’s own creative life.

The Story

The narrative begins with an exploration of the author’s personal relationship with music, illustrating how he used vocal performances—from singing with his sister as a child to entertaining guests on transatlantic voyages—as a means of expression and emotional relief. The inquiry then expands into the world of the home, where music functioned as a barometer for character. We see how the presence or absence of a piano or harp in a domestic space served to define the status and moral fiber of the residents, whether they were the cheerful families in A Christmas Carol or the strained households depicted in Dombey and Son.

As the investigation progresses, it moves from the parlor to the bustling London streets. The reader is introduced to the auditory backdrop of the period: the itinerant organ-grinders, the straggling Punch-and-Judy shows, and the pervasive sound of barrel-organs, which often served as symbols of both joy and misery. The author highlights how these sounds were not merely atmospheric but were used to expose the desperation of the poor or the pretension of the social climbers who sought to emulate the "upper ten" by acquiring instruments they barely knew how to play.

The arc of the book deepens by analyzing how specific songs and hymns acted as emotional shorthand for his characters. Whether it is a simple tune reminding a hardened miser of his long-lost childhood or a rowdy sea shanty signaling the unrefined but honest spirit of a sailor like Captain Cuttle, music provides a bridge to the past and a conduit for sentiment. The narrative takes care to explain that these references were frequently rooted in the popular culture of the day—music hall hits, national airs, and works by Moore—rather than high-art classical compositions, grounding the novels firmly in their time.

Finally, the journey concludes with a comprehensive look at the specific musical habits of his most memorable figures. We encounter the "hummers"—characters like Mr. Pecksniff or the "scientific" visitor in Dombey and Son—who use melody as a tool for dissimulation or as an unconscious release of their inner state. The discussion ends by tracing how these musical motifs persist even in his final, unfinished work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, where the complexities of cathedral life and the ambiguous roles of precentors and choirmasters suggest that music remained a powerful, albeit mysterious, force in his imagination until the very end.

How It Unfolds

The Personal Prelude The examination opens with the author's early life and vocal habits, showing that his love for songs was a lifelong passion that persisted even when his voice failed him during his public readings. This foundational chapter establishes that music was an essential component of his private life, one that bled naturally into his literary output.

The Domestic Soundscape The focus shifts to the Victorian home, where instruments like the harp and piano act as indicators of refinement or affectation. It examines how Dickens utilized these household objects to define the social standing and emotional health of characters ranging from the humble to the wealthy.

The Street and the Stage Moving outdoors, the text explores the itinerant musical life of London, from organ-grinders to the popular "negro" impersonators of the time. This section captures the chaotic and vibrant auditory environment that informed the background of his novels, reflecting the grit and diversity of the nineteenth-century city.

The Musical Character The analysis then focuses on the psychology of his characters, cataloging those who "hum" to hide their confusion or deceive others. It demonstrates how these small, musical quirks become defining traits that allow readers to peer behind the masks of figures like the hypocritical Mr. Pecksniff.

The Final Composition The study concludes by looking at his late works and the specific roles of ecclesiastical music and professional musicians. It reconciles the author’s occasional lack of strict technical accuracy regarding church orders with his profound ability to capture the atmosphere and human drama inherent in musical practice.

The People

The central figures are not only the characters within the novels but also the author himself, who emerges as a man deeply attuned to the rhythmic and melodic patterns of life. He appears as a dedicated observer who used music to elevate his storytelling, treating a character's preference for a song as a window into their soul.

We meet the "hummers"—Mr. Pecksniff, Mr. Micawber, and the scientific visitor—who use music to mask their true intentions or soothe their anxieties. Their habit of humming reveals a desperate need to maintain a facade or fill the silence of their own moral voids. In contrast, figures like the organ-grinder’s dogs or the beleaguered Mr. Morfin, who plays his violoncello to find solace against the world, represent the genuine, often painful, connection between human feeling and sound.

Then there are the "pretenders," those characters who view music as a status symbol to be purchased or performed to impress the neighborhood. Their attempts at musical proficiency are often thwarted, highlighting the absurdity of their social ambitions. Finally, the portrait of the musician in The Mystery of Edwin Drood serves as the most enigmatic figure, representing the intersection of artistic talent, professional duty, and the dark, hidden impulses that the author sought to explore in his final years. Each figure is transformed by their relationship with music, whether it softens their heart or exposes their vanity.

In Its Own Voice

"For the story of music in the ordinary English home, for the popular songs of the period, for the average musical attainments of the middle and lower classes, we must turn to the pages of Dickens' novels."

This statement summarizes the author’s central argument that the novels serve as a primary historical source for understanding Victorian musical culture.

"He softened more and more; and thought that if he could have listened to it often, years ago, he might have cultivated the kindnesses of life for his own happiness with his own hand."

The author uses this passage from A Christmas Carol to show how a simple piece of music can trigger a profound redemptive change in a character.

"He might have been fitted up with a change of barrels, perhaps, in early life, if his destiny had been favourable, but it had not been."

This observation regarding a teacher who is compared to a human barrel-organ exemplifies how the author used musical metaphors to critique the rigid, repetitive education of the time.

What It's Really About

This book is fundamentally an argument for the importance of popular culture in literature. It posits that the "serious" study of a great writer is incomplete without an understanding of the common songs and street noises that shaped his world. It addresses the question of whether a writer’s work can be truly understood without context, suggesting that the "dismal organs" and "national airs" found in the novels are not merely decorative but are essential elements of the author’s social commentary. The book moves beyond mere musicology to interrogate how art, in its most accessible and everyday forms, mirrors the moral and class-based struggles of a developing society, ultimately asking how we define "culture" in the nineteenth century.

Why Read It Today

Readers who have a deep appreciation for Victorian literature or the history of popular music will find this book a rewarding companion. It is written with a warmth that suggests a long-standing affection for its subject, making the dense cataloging of songs and characters feel like a guided tour through a well-loved library. The reader will walk away with a richer understanding of how the hum of a street organ or the strum of a harp adds a layer of depth to the stories they thought they knew well.

However, the book demands patience. It is an older work, and its enthusiasm for the specific song-lists of the period can be exhaustive, occasionally feeling like a scholarly inventory rather than a narrative. The period attitudes—such as the casual dismissal of certain "upper ten" musical habits or the uncritical inclusion of mid-Victorian racialized song titles—are present and reflective of the book’s 1912 origin. It does not attempt to modernize its perspective, choosing instead to document the era as it was. For those willing to navigate its occasional list-heavy structure, it offers a rare, immersive glimpse into the sonic world that once echoed through the pages of some of the most beloved books in the English language.