'I Didn't like Gilbert and Sullivan... Then I found they were really very good' - 'Learned musical taste' in the context of an amateur choral ensemble

This paper observes the formation of the 'learned musical taste' and the added cultural capital of communal music making in a UK Bach choir. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a paper-based survey. Findings indicate two key elements in terms of influences of choral singing on musical taste and preferences: a) the effects of family history, early concert experiences and encouragements on musical preferences and identities, b) the 'learned appreciation' of new (or previously disliked) music, periods, composers, genres through the cultural production of a choral performance. Findings did not indicate a correlation between musical taste and formal music education.