Hanging By A Crotchet - 11: English Music's 20th Century Revival with Benjamin Robson

After years of irrelevance since the great Handel (who was of course actually German) graced the streets of London, English classical music was largely irrelevant. But towards the end of the 19th century a unique National style emerged, which could finally stand up to old cultural rivals - the French and the Germans.

For example, the folkish pastoral themes of Vaughan Williams encapsulated an England rapidly being lost with industrialisation and war. Elgar’s pompous marches and grand symphonies encapsulated the spirit of Edwardian and inter-war Britain. Britten (the person, not the place) underscored the rebuilding and redefining of post-imperial and post-war Britain as the country dealt with the terrors of the early 20th century.