THE Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, better known by its acronym as the ABRSM, has influenced the musical lives and tastes of millions of people since it conducted its first exams in 1890. This history explores how and why the ABRSM became such an important influence for British musical life, and looks at some of the consequences that have followed from that influence. It examines how much latitude the ABRSM has had to impose its musical view of things, and the extent to which its exams respond to the market by taking account of the circumstances and musical preferences of its customers. These enquiries shape much of what follows.

The book is an institutional history of the ABRSM, placing it in its social, cultural and economic context, and showing how it has negotiated – or, at times, has been unresponsive to – the changing social, educational and cultural landscape. It does not seek to provide a comprehensive historical account of ABRSM events, even though the discussion is structured chronologically. Also, though an organization like the ABRSM offers considerable scope for anecdotal character portraits, this temptation is almost entirely resisted. Nor does this book study in any detail the changing fashions in individual instrumental/vocal teaching and repertoire revealed by the ABRSM syllabuses. Although points about this aspect are made in a general way there remains considerable scope for future, more specifically centred, instrumental/vocal studies looking at the syllabuses themselves. Thus it is to be hoped that this general sweep across the ABRSM's institutional history may prompt other, differently focused, histories.