Music history: at City Lit
What is a music history course?
Music history courses are designed to help you explore new music and/or to find out more about the music you already enjoy. Please read Karen Betley's blog post Music History: an introduction to find out more.
I am a complete beginner in classical music, what do you recommend?
We have courses specially designed to introduce you to classical music and to help you get a clear overview of the topic. The emphasis here is on understanding the timeline of key works, and helping you find ones you enjoy. You don't need to read music notation but you do need to enjoy discussion and short home reading tasks
- Exploring classical music is a music appreciation course over three or four terms and is a great way to start exploring
- Exploring opera is a focused multi-term course for opera lovers and those who are curious about the history and development of this art form
- The essential history of jazz in 20 cuts is our Jazz history survey ideal for beginners and experienced listeners
Other courses offer surveys or longer explorations of composers, genres and individual pieces. Scroll further down this page to see our listings for the terms ahead.
Our schedule of courses
*all courses with an asterisk in the list below are online courses
If any of the links in this blog post say ‘page not found’ please contact the music office and we’ll let you know when the next course is expected to take place.
Short courses for Summer 2026
NB: click to see the City Lit summer courses offer
Mondays
- MD897 Classical music: an introduction, 13/07/26 (1) Katy Hamilton
Tuesdays
- MD041B Steve Reich: an introduction to his music, 02/06/2026 (5) Edward Henderson
- MD902 Great albums: Kind of Blue, 14/07/26 (1) aLbi Gravener
- MD900 Opera appreciation: an introduction, 14/07/26 (1)
Wednesdays
- MD810 Great artists: David Bowie, 22/07/26 (1) Toby Manning
Thursdays
- MD701C Great works: Shostakovich's Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, 23/07/26 (1) Steven Robinson
Fridays
- *MD615C Music history bookclub: Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer, 17/07/26 (1) Edward Breen
Term 1: Autumn 2026
Mondays
- MD504 Exploring the music of Henry Purcell, 21/09/26 (10) Edward Breen
- MD660 Miles Davis: from bebop to hip-hop, 21/09/26 (5) aLbi Gravener
- MD665C Great jazz artists: Weather Report, 02/11/26 (3) aLbi Gravener
- MD040C Great works: Schütz's Christmas Story, 07/12/26 (1) Edward Breen
- MD040A Great works: The Play of Daniel, 14/12/26 (1) Edward Breen
Tuesdays
- MD036A String Quartets: Beethoven and Bartók, 22/09/26 (10) Katy Hamilton
- MD038A Chamber music in production, 22/09/26 (10) tutor: tbc
- MD612A Opera history for absolute beginners, 22/09/26 (10) Katy Homden (coming soon)
- *MD620 The essential history of jazz in 20 cuts, 22/09/26 (10) aLbi Gravener
- MD039A Great composers: Gerald Finzi, 08/12/26 (2) Katy Hamilton
- MD701A Great artists: Paul Robeson, 08/12/26 (1) tutor: tbc
Wedesdays
- *MD022 Barber, Copland, Ives and Gershwin, 23/09/26 (10) Katy Hamilton
Thursdays
- *MD025C Exploring classical music 3, 24/09/26 (10) Neil Luck
- *MD025D Exploring classical music 4, 24/09/26 (10) Neil Luck
- MD030A Exploring classical music 1, 24/09/26 (10) Steven Robinson
- MD600 Exploring Shostakovich, 24/09/26 (10) Steven Robinson
Fridays
- *MD997 Exploring opera 1, 25/09/26 (10) tutor: tbc
- *MD615A Music history bookclub: The Instrumentalist, 11/12/26, (1) Edward Breen
Term 2: Winter/Spring 2027
Mondays
- MD665A The saxophone story, 11/01/27 (5) aLbi Gravener
- MD815 Handel in Italy, 11/01/27 (10) Edward Breen
Tuesdays
- MD036B The music of the Boulangers: Nadia and Lili, 12/01/27 (5) Katy Hamilton
- MD038B Exploring Verdi, 12/01/27 (9) tutor: tbc
- MD612B Classical music today, 12/01/27 (10) Edward Henderson
- MD036C Frank Bridge: an intro to his music, 23/02/27 (4) Katy Hamilton
Wednesdays
- *MD023 Vienna at the fin de siècle, 13/01/27 (10) Katy Hamilton
Thursdays
- *MD025A Exploring classical music 1, 14/01/27 (10) Neil Luck
- MD030B Exploring classical music 2, 14/01/27 (10) Steven Robinson
- MD601 Exploring Elgar, 14/01/27 (10) Steven Robinson
Fridays
- *MD998 Exploring opera 2, 15/01/27 (10) tutor: tbc
Term 3: Spring/Summer 2027
Mondays
- MD040B Great works: Bach's St John Passion, 05/04/27 (1) Edward Breen
- MD816 Handel in Ireland, 12/04/27 (10) Edward Breen
- MD897 Classical music: an introduction, 19/07/27 (1) tbc...
Tuesdays
- MD041A Olivier Messiaen: an introduction to his music, 13/04/27 (7) Edward Henderson
- MD701B Great musicians: Charles Burney, 13/04/27 (1) tutor: tbc
- MD036D Exploring classical music 4, 20/04/27 (10) Katy Homden
- MD028 Operas in production, 20/04/27 (10) tutor: tbc
- MD041B Minimalism in music, 08/06/27, (4) Edward Henderson
- MD701C Great musicians: Hollywood's secret singers, 13/07/27 (1) tutor: tbc
- MD900 Opera appreciation: an introduction, 20/07/27 (1) tutor: tbc
Wednesdays
- MD039B Great works: Chabrier's España, 14/04/27 (1) Katy Hamilton
Thursdays
- MD030C Exploring classical music 3, 15/04/27 (10) Steven Robinson
- MD602 Exploring Stravinsky, 15/04/27 (10) Steven Robinson
- *MD025B Exploring classical music 2, 22/04/27 (10) Neil Luck
Fridays
- *MD615B Music history bookclub: The Metropolitan Opera Murders, 09/04/27, (1) Edward Breen
- *MD615C Music history bookclub: Midsummer Nights, 09/07/27 (1) Edward Breen
Related courses from other
departments at City Lit
- Exploring Classical Music in Novels
- David Bowie's Soho
- Politics, society and culture in Weimar Germany
- No tolerance of undeserving rank and splendour': the Nineteenth Century through Gilbert & Sullivan
- With Cat-Like Tread! Gilbert & Sullivan's London (walking tour)
- London Calling: popular music, society and culture 1955 - 2025
- The life and times of Ignatius Sancho
- Protesting to the beat: music and revolution in Latin America
