ABSTRACT
The language of internationalism was frequently extravagant, emotive and inspirational and, taken in its broadest sense, extended beyond speech. There were serious attempts to use Esperanto to overcome the ‘little trouble’ of inability to speak foreign languages. As has been stated, it was not essential for the leadership to develop linguistic skills. The willingness of some of the ordinary Labour movement membership to learn Esperanto is, therefore, the more remarkable. Music and song can be performed by one or more people to individuals or groups, speaking across language barriers; they are conversations of infinite possibility. Between the wars left-wing musicians were experimenting with notation and re-thinking the relationship of artist and society; new technology such as the gramophone and wireless made it possible to replace sheet music as the means of disseminating musical sound. To disseminate Labour Movement music a new medium was available, radio transmission.
