re what we might term "music in the community" pre-electronics.

http://www.theosophy-nw.org/theosnw/arts/ar-mclk4.htm
Describing Ca 1820 (make what you will of the condescending attitude - but you must admit it exists both sides of the divide!)

Beethoven derived immense enjoyment from naively bad music, and he often went with zest to the Sign of the Three Ravens, a tavern . . . on the outskirts of Vienna. There an orchestra of seven wholly unsophisticated peasants held forth. They were quite unconscious of their privilege in being the first to introduce Beethoven to the unadulterated Austrian folk-music. . . .
The Master made friends with these humble colleagues . . . more than once he composed dances for them, adapting the easy notes with laughing sympathy to the curious habits of these children of nature. from "The Man Who Freed Music" - Robert Haven Schauffler


http://www.myalpyper.co.uk/englishbagpipemusic.htm

Sir Thomas Browne wrote in 1662 his Derbyshire Journey: "When we had viewed this famous town of Bakewell, we returned to our inn to strengthen ourselves against what encounters we should meet with next, where at our entrance we were accosted with the best music the place could afford, an excellent bagpipe


http://www.soundsurvey.org.uk/index.php/survey/historical_so/social1/158/186/

Pepys diary 1661

To the Dolphin to a dinner of Mr. Harris's, where Sir Williams both and my Lady Batten, and her two daughters, and other company, where a great deal of mirth, and there staid till 11 o'clock at night; and in our mirth I sang and sometimes fiddled (there being a noise of fiddlers there), and at last we fell to dancing, the first time that ever I did in my life, which I did wonder to see myself to do.