British organization for the promotion of music in education. It was formed in 1938 as a result of the success of non-competitive schools' music festivals that had been held since 1927, initially in Shropshire but later through much of the country, mostly directed by Geoffrey Shaw. The first national festival was held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, in 1938, and its success led to the formation of the association to coordinate the festivals' activities. A leading member was Cyril Winn, inspector of schools for the Board of Education and a pioneer in the development of school music in the 1930s. The administrative decentralization that resulted from the 1944 Education Act resulted in a larger number of local music advisers who helped enlarge the association's activities. In 1946 the National Youth Orchestra was founded by Ruth Railton with the support of Shaw and other members of the association. In 1956 the association founded the British Schools Orchestra, later renamed the British Youth Symphony Orchestra in order to admit a higher age range. In 1968 the British (later National) Youth Wind Orchestra was founded.
In 1951 the association's second national festival was held in the Royal Albert Hall as the first musical event of the Festival of Britain; Vaughan Williams's The Sons of Light was written for the occasion. National festivals were also held in 1956 and 1959, and subsequently these gave way to regional festivals. Other activities of the association have included the foundation of an advisory and research sub-committee, which has produced numerous reports including, at the request of UNESCO, a survey of music in the United Kingdom; an annual conference on music in schools (1964–) to maintain links with other music education bodies; the publication of the journal Music (from 1966, later replaced by a termly bulletin); national conducting courses; and courses for primary school music teachers. In 1970 it introduced the Suzuki method to Britain by organizing a concert and workshop at the Royal College of Music, London. In the 1990s the establishment of regional committees ensured that its activities covered the entire country. Links with government departments enabled the association to take part in discussions concerning the music curriculum.