Catalogue Number
NMLH.1992.279
Object Name
Songsheet
Title
The Red Flag
Place
Nottingham, UK
People
Jim O'Connell, George Lansbury, James Maxton, Philip Snowden, Ramsay MacDonald, Labour Party
Events
1918 Labour Party Conference
Description
A song sheet with the lyrics of The Red Flag. There is an elaborate red scrollwork border around the lyrics. The song sheet is covered in signatures of Labour Party politicians.
The Red Flag was written by Jim Connell in 1889, and was quickly adopted as a left wing anthem. This copy was produced for the Labour Party's 1918 conference, and it has been signed by politicians including the future first Labour Party Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald, and George Lansbury.
Communal singing can help to establish a bond between attendees at a group, and song sheets were passed out so everyone knew the words no matter how new they were to the group. Political parties today still use music as a way to create a shared identity, and some parties even have 'Glee Clubs' or informal choirs that meet at conferences to sing old political standards like the Red Flag.
**ON DISPLAY**
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