Brian Robins

Brian Robins is an English nonfiction author and editor.

He edited the voluminous journals of the 18th-century English amateur composer, John Marsh, for publication in 1998.[1][2] A review by the academic Nicholas Temperley in Music & Letters calls the publication a "significant event", though he doubts its claimed appeal to a wide audience; Temperley is critical of the meagre index of the 754-page work, which he describes as "seriously deficient", and calls attention to mistakes in the notes as well as deficiencies in the works list.[1] A long review by H. Diack Johnstone for the Journal of the Royal Musical Association describes the project as a "monumental achievement", and praises Robins' "industry and indefatigable concern for detail", which he compares with that of the subject; Johnstone suggests that it would have been preferable to divide the material into two or three volumes, and also points out the inadequacies of the index.[2] The edition was also reviewed in The Musical Times[3] and Early Music.[4]

Robins' monograph study of catch and glee culture in 18th-century England was published in 2006.[5][6] William Weber, in a review for Journal of British Studies, describes it as a "major contribution to a little-studied subject" that is "accessible" to the general reader; he praises the book for its "vivid picture" of the places where these forms were performed and particularly appreciates the focus on settings outside London.[5] Christina Bashford, in a review for Music & Letters, describes the book as "carefully documented", praises its "thorough, nuanced" descriptions of large numbers of groups, and highlights some "striking vignettes"; she criticises many of the chapters for failing to discuss "broader social and cultural themes and meanings".[6]