From Glenn Miller to Columbo

Message 1 - glen miller

Posted on: 01 September 2004 by greenhill2

Hello Glen Miller Festival 2004

Forgve the long drawn out preamble to my Article A222433 regarding my schoolboy wartime experiences spare a moment to read the last paragraph !! My 60 yr old music teacher in Scotland wouldnt have anything "modern" under any circumstances!I I enjoyed your article as I was at Bletchley on 2nd Aug.
Rgds.
Ed Thomson
Glamis Angus

Message 1 - Glenn Miller, wartime music and importance

Posted on: 05 November 2004 by Martyn Beeny

Dear Sir

My congratulations to you on being awarded the Freedom of Bletchley Park.

I am researching my PhD in History at the University of Kent at Canterbury. My thesis is the Role of Popular Music during World War II.

Your memories of the music and musicians you saw in Bedford particularly interest me. I would like to ask you some questions relating to this and other matters of music during WWII. I am not necessarily interested int he actual music as much has been written in this regard. However, what does interest me is what you thought of it. When you saw these big bands playing and listened to their music, what kind of impact did it have on you and your peers? Was it important to have the music there and to be able to go and listen or dance? Did the music have any special relevance or meaning to you at the time or was it just something that was there to do? Was music from the big names like Miller more important or influential than the British bands or smaller groups you heard? Did you have any musicians or bands where you were stationed?
If you would like to answer any of these questions or have other memories that you would like to share with me I would be most grateful to hear from you.
You can email me if you prefer or just post here.

Thank you in advance,

Yours

Martyn Beeny
mbeeny@hotmail.com