Bernard Chasan wrote:

>Is there any reason for thinking that there is less amateur music making
>now than in, say, 1900?

I heard on the radio some time ago the astonishing claim that in the early
1900s there were no less than 20,000 village (possibly colliery?) brass
bands in existence in rural England ...well, maybe in all of Britain.  Even
so...

Can anyone confirm this?

Bert Bailey