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She played and sang: Jane Austen and music
Like her much-loved heroine Emma Woodhouse, Jane Austen ‘played and sang’. Music occupied a central role in her life, and she made brilliant use of it in her books to illuminate characters’ personalities and highlight the contrasts between them.
Until recently, our knowledge of Austen’s musical inclinations was limited to the recollections of relatives who were still in their youth when she passed away. But with the digitisation of music books from her immediate family circle, a treasure trove of evidence has emerged. Delving into these books, alongside letters and other familial records, She played and sang unveils a previously unknown facet of Austen's world.
This insightful work not only uncovers the music closely associated with Austen, but also unravels her musical connections with family and friends, revealing the intricate ties between her fiction and the melodies she performed. With these revelations, Austen's musical legacy comes to life, granting us a deeper understanding of her artistic prowess and the influences that shaped her literary masterpieces.
Until recently, our knowledge of Austen’s musical inclinations was limited to the recollections of relatives who were still in their youth when she passed away. But with the digitisation of music books from her immediate family circle, a treasure trove of evidence has emerged. Delving into these books, alongside letters and other familial records, She played and sang unveils a previously unknown facet of Austen's world.
This insightful work not only uncovers the music closely associated with Austen, but also unravels her musical connections with family and friends, revealing the intricate ties between her fiction and the melodies she performed. With these revelations, Austen's musical legacy comes to life, granting us a deeper understanding of her artistic prowess and the influences that shaped her literary masterpieces.
- GenresNonfictionMusic
344 pages, Hardcover
Published March 5, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 7, 2024
This gorgeous book--unique, brilliantly written and researched--brings to life the impact of music on Jane Austen and her beloved characters. As a classical pianist myself and forever Janeite, I found Jane's world opened more lushly to me as I "heard" the music she and her circle of family and friends loved, which revealed her life and its influences in a way not done before.
Austen lovers, please take a turn with me around the room as Jane plays ardently on the pianoforte given to her by her father. Huzzah!
Austen lovers, please take a turn with me around the room as Jane plays ardently on the pianoforte given to her by her father. Huzzah!
April 30, 2025
I much enjoyed this chance to dwell in (the historical) Jane Austen's world via her manuscript music collections. It felt, in fact, like a continuation of the biography I read last autumn, delving deeper into one particular aspect of her life through examination of the songs and piano music she collected and transcribed. For an author whose biography is so sketchy and where documentary evidence surrounding her private life is so scant, a project like this sheds new and welcome light on her inner world. And it's especially special because Gillian Dooley, a singer herself, has performed songs from these collections for the past few decades, so she brings to the academic study the unique insight of a practitioner.
She Played and Sang examines Jane Austen's music collections—which are now digitized and freely available online—in detail, tracing each selection's composer, history, and even the printed version that Jane Austen copied. After describing her "musical relationships" (the family members, mostly nieces and sisters-in-law, who shared her interest in music), the book also considers similar collections belonging to these various family members that she knew or might have known. The following chapters group the music that Jane Austen copied or knew into categories—French and political songs, seafaring songs, theater songs, British folksongs—and then posit some possible influences of Jane Austen's collected songs upon her juvenilia and her mature fiction.
Gillian Dooley does an excellent job considering the primary source material, including Jane Austen's letters, which are so easy to misinterpret or take at face value. And her success in exhuming and describing a largely forgotten musical culture of late 18th-century England—one dominated not, as music history leads us to believe, by Handel, Haydn, and Mozart, but by now-obscure British composers—is admirable. Dooley is always careful not to carry her claims or speculations too far, reminding us of the limitations as well as the potential of the sources.
Unfortunately—this is the one mark against the book—Dooley does not manage her secondary sources with equal effectiveness. She quotes when she ought to paraphrase (sometimes even quoting herself!), drags scholarship into the text when a footnote would suffice, and generally encumbers her book with scholarly voices that don't enhance what she has to say. This problem is more acute in some chapters than others, especially the Introduction and the chapter on naval songs (which was originally a contribution to a different book). Somewhat painful when marred by secondary source stuffing, this book is otherwise a delight.
She Played and Sang examines Jane Austen's music collections—which are now digitized and freely available online—in detail, tracing each selection's composer, history, and even the printed version that Jane Austen copied. After describing her "musical relationships" (the family members, mostly nieces and sisters-in-law, who shared her interest in music), the book also considers similar collections belonging to these various family members that she knew or might have known. The following chapters group the music that Jane Austen copied or knew into categories—French and political songs, seafaring songs, theater songs, British folksongs—and then posit some possible influences of Jane Austen's collected songs upon her juvenilia and her mature fiction.
Gillian Dooley does an excellent job considering the primary source material, including Jane Austen's letters, which are so easy to misinterpret or take at face value. And her success in exhuming and describing a largely forgotten musical culture of late 18th-century England—one dominated not, as music history leads us to believe, by Handel, Haydn, and Mozart, but by now-obscure British composers—is admirable. Dooley is always careful not to carry her claims or speculations too far, reminding us of the limitations as well as the potential of the sources.
Unfortunately—this is the one mark against the book—Dooley does not manage her secondary sources with equal effectiveness. She quotes when she ought to paraphrase (sometimes even quoting herself!), drags scholarship into the text when a footnote would suffice, and generally encumbers her book with scholarly voices that don't enhance what she has to say. This problem is more acute in some chapters than others, especially the Introduction and the chapter on naval songs (which was originally a contribution to a different book). Somewhat painful when marred by secondary source stuffing, this book is otherwise a delight.
September 18, 2024
An intense look at the music books Jane Austen and her family had, the music in them, the entries in JA's hand - the music she would have played and sang - and much, much more. I was particularly fascinated when Gillian Dooley likened JA's writing to the rise and fall of music - and so it follows that music would influence her writing.
There is a rhythm in Austen's prose which always rewards reading it aloud, and which it shares with musical phrasing.
A wonderful read.
There is a rhythm in Austen's prose which always rewards reading it aloud, and which it shares with musical phrasing.
A wonderful read.
September 20, 2025
Overall fascinating and informative. Some chapters were of more interest to me than others. As a professional musician myself with a huge interest in Jane Austen's work and life, I have spent hours pouring over the online images of Jane's music collections and it was lovely to be able to read Dooley's scholarship and analysis of the specific pieces in Jane's collection.
December 12, 2025
Despite being written in a very academic style, this is such a wonderful glimpse into Austen's musical life. Suddenly, some of the intertextuality moments in the novels, the symbols of 'taste' and 'sensibility' completely make sense because these novels are written by a musician. They have a musician's sense of the world. They are written with a certain assumed knowledge of contemporary music and theatre, as well as the way music was the war propaganda of the day. They are written in the patterns, rhythms and cadences that are a normal way of thinking for people whose lives are partly given over to music-making and music appreciation. I really appreciated the author's deep analysis of the connections between Austen's literature and music, but most of all, I loved the new appreciation of Austen as a musician. Even great writers are more than writers. So much of Austen's biographical 'bookshelf' focuses on her role in the family or her romantic paths. I have never forgotten an image in her nephew's memoir of her being skilled at the game of cup and ball. Truly important to a child! If we must make Austen into a literary celebrity, and 2025 has been the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth - well, maybe it is an opportunity to undo some of the patriarchal tropes that have infected her biography. Dooley's research is free of these: it opens a door on Austen's inner world and her enthusiasm for music that rounds our understanding of Austen as an artist that writes, plays the piano, sings and enjoys fashion, theatre and life.
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July 6, 2024
Despite having read almost all her novels, and watched numerous dramatisations on the screen, I don’t associate Jane Austen with music.
At least, I didn’t until I read this illuminating book by Gillian Dooley. I now appreciate how significant music was to Jane and her family, and have an insight into how it probably played out in the lives of many other late Georgian and Regency women.
The author, Gillian Dooley, is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in English Literature at Flinders University, South Australia. She’s published on a number of literary and historical topics, including Jane Austen.
This book stems from the author’s years creating a detailed index of the hundreds of items in the Austen family music collections for the University of Southampton library catalogue. She also draws on material from Jane’s letters, the recollections of those who knew her and, of course, her novels.
It’s not just about Jane Austen
While some may be frustrated at Jane Austen’s pre-eminence in any discussion of women in the latter half of George III’s reign, this focus on her offers insights to those outside the Janeite fan club. Because she remained largely anonymous during her lifetime, and was never independently wealthy, the scrutiny of her life allows us glimpses into the lives of women in similar circumstances.
Through Jane, we catch something of what it was like to be a middle-class woman at that time. Many of her interests, activities and frustrations were surely reflected in the lives of many other women across the country.
This book isn’t just about Jane. Chapter 2, Jane Austen’s Musical Relationships, details her connections, through music, with several family members and friends.
Music in the life of Jane Austen
Jane compiled at least four albums of music. Two began as blank manuscript books, into which she copied music and lyrics. The others are scrapbooks, with a mix of printed and hand-written content.
The author admits that we don’t know much about Jane’s engagement with music. There’s no doubt she collected music, as evidenced by the books she left behind. We know she played and sang. She also attended concerts. For much of her life, Jane had access to a piano.
Music features in some of her novels, but it’s only named in one. In Emma, Miss Fairfax plays Robin Adair, an Irish melody by Thomas Moore.
Irish tunes were just one of the musical influences on Jane Austen. Dooley discusses these, and includes Thomas Arne and Georgian musical theatre, Scotch songs (which didn’t always originate from Scotland), and naval songs. The latter are given an entire chapter, which is no surprise, given the high visibility of the Navy in Britain during her lifetime, and in her family - with two brothers serving aboard ship.
Dooley considers how music, and the stories contained in popular songs, may have influenced Jane. In particular, she explores the relationship between an early Georgian ballad and Sense and Sensibility.
There’s no direct evidence of a connection, other than Jane knowing the ballad titled Lucy and Colin and the parallels in the relationship between Marianne and Willoughby. However, it’s an interesting exploration of how stories Jane was familiar with may have helped shape her characters and plots.
Not just a book for Austen fans
I recommend this book to anyone who takes a serious interest in the life of Jane Austen, or in the lives of middle class women of the late Georgian and Regency years. It has something to say to anyone interested in the place of music in the culture at that time.
I am not a musician. You don’t need to be a musician to appreciate this book, although in a few places it got too technical for me.
The book comprises a detailed introduction, eight chapters, a conclusion, two appendices (the Austen family network and a list of manuscripts annotated by Jane), notes, a bibliography and index.
The 21 Austen music books used by the author are all available in the Internet Archive.
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
At least, I didn’t until I read this illuminating book by Gillian Dooley. I now appreciate how significant music was to Jane and her family, and have an insight into how it probably played out in the lives of many other late Georgian and Regency women.
The author, Gillian Dooley, is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow in English Literature at Flinders University, South Australia. She’s published on a number of literary and historical topics, including Jane Austen.
This book stems from the author’s years creating a detailed index of the hundreds of items in the Austen family music collections for the University of Southampton library catalogue. She also draws on material from Jane’s letters, the recollections of those who knew her and, of course, her novels.
It’s not just about Jane Austen
While some may be frustrated at Jane Austen’s pre-eminence in any discussion of women in the latter half of George III’s reign, this focus on her offers insights to those outside the Janeite fan club. Because she remained largely anonymous during her lifetime, and was never independently wealthy, the scrutiny of her life allows us glimpses into the lives of women in similar circumstances.
Through Jane, we catch something of what it was like to be a middle-class woman at that time. Many of her interests, activities and frustrations were surely reflected in the lives of many other women across the country.
This book isn’t just about Jane. Chapter 2, Jane Austen’s Musical Relationships, details her connections, through music, with several family members and friends.
Music in the life of Jane Austen
Jane compiled at least four albums of music. Two began as blank manuscript books, into which she copied music and lyrics. The others are scrapbooks, with a mix of printed and hand-written content.
The author admits that we don’t know much about Jane’s engagement with music. There’s no doubt she collected music, as evidenced by the books she left behind. We know she played and sang. She also attended concerts. For much of her life, Jane had access to a piano.
Music features in some of her novels, but it’s only named in one. In Emma, Miss Fairfax plays Robin Adair, an Irish melody by Thomas Moore.
Irish tunes were just one of the musical influences on Jane Austen. Dooley discusses these, and includes Thomas Arne and Georgian musical theatre, Scotch songs (which didn’t always originate from Scotland), and naval songs. The latter are given an entire chapter, which is no surprise, given the high visibility of the Navy in Britain during her lifetime, and in her family - with two brothers serving aboard ship.
Dooley considers how music, and the stories contained in popular songs, may have influenced Jane. In particular, she explores the relationship between an early Georgian ballad and Sense and Sensibility.
There’s no direct evidence of a connection, other than Jane knowing the ballad titled Lucy and Colin and the parallels in the relationship between Marianne and Willoughby. However, it’s an interesting exploration of how stories Jane was familiar with may have helped shape her characters and plots.
Not just a book for Austen fans
I recommend this book to anyone who takes a serious interest in the life of Jane Austen, or in the lives of middle class women of the late Georgian and Regency years. It has something to say to anyone interested in the place of music in the culture at that time.
I am not a musician. You don’t need to be a musician to appreciate this book, although in a few places it got too technical for me.
The book comprises a detailed introduction, eight chapters, a conclusion, two appendices (the Austen family network and a list of manuscripts annotated by Jane), notes, a bibliography and index.
The 21 Austen music books used by the author are all available in the Internet Archive.
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews