Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 59 - English Classical Composers
This week we present a selection of English classical composers. As usual it proved almost impossible to choose just six so a second week at some time is highly likely, as is a week of English composers who have written for the musical theatre. But for now, join us on a journey to the stars, follow a bird in flight and attend two royal events.
Monday April 26
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst (1874 – 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, he composed many other works across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success. Holst was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, the elder of the two children of Adolph von Holst, a professional musician, and his wife, Clara Cox.
The Planets is a seven-movement orchestral suite written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the solar system and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst.
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
(Love the conductor - full of jollity)
Initially I was going to use this next version from the Proms, but the conductor was just not jolly enough.
Far too serious, I think. Have a look at the beginning and see if you agree.
Performance 2
Tuesday April 27
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis (1505 – 1585) was an English Renaissance composer who occupies a primary place in anthologies of English choral music. He is considered one of England's greatest composers. Tallis served at court as a composer and performer for Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.
Spem in alium (Latin for "Hope in any other") is a 40-part Renaissance motet composed around 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. It is considered by some critics to be the greatest piece of English early music.
Performance (8 and a half minutes, the rest is applause)
Wednesday April 28
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over sixty years.
The Lark Ascending is a short, single-movement work inspired by the 1881 poem of the same name by the English writer George Meredith. It was originally for violin and piano, completed in 1914 but not performed until 1920. The composer reworked it for solo violin and orchestra after the First World War. It is a very popular piece, usually ranked very high in the annual Classic FM Hall of Fame.
More information about the piece from Classic FM
Perfomance (16 mins)
Thursday April 29
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842 – 1900) is best known for 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. His works include 24 operas, 11 major orchestral works, ten choral works and oratorios, two ballets, incidental music to several plays, and numerous church pieces, songs, and piano and chamber pieces. His hymns and songs include Onward, Christian Soldiers and The Lost Chord.
Pineapple Poll is a Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired comic ballet, created by choreographer John Cranko with arranger Sir Charles Mackerras. Pineapple Poll is based on "The Bumboat Woman's Story", one of W. S. Gilbert's Bab Ballads, written in 1870. The Gilbert and Sullivan opera H.M.S. Pinafore was also based, in part, on this story. For the ballet, Cranko expanded the story of the Bab Ballad and added a happy ending. All the music is arranged from Sullivan's music.
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite Opening (3 mins)
Full ballet (43 mins)
Friday April 30
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar (1857 – 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches.
Elgar composed his Variations on an Original Theme, popularly known as the Enigma Variations, between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Variation 9 is often referred to as Nimrod.
Performance
(look out for the Downton Abbey moment)
Weekend May 1/2
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton (1902 – 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include Façade and the British coronation anthems Crown Imperial and Orb and Sceptre.
Crown Imperial is an orchestral march first performed at the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and substantially revised in 1953. Walton originally composed the march for performance at the planned coronation of Edward VIII, but as Edward abdicated the piece received its first performance at George's coronation. Crown Imperial was also performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, along with another Coronation March written by Walton, Orb and Sceptre. Crown Imperial was performed more recently at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. It was one of my early favourites during childhood.
Crown Imperial conducted by WW himself
Weekend Extra
Façade is a series of poems by Edith Sitwell, best known as part of Façade – An Entertainment in which the poems are recited over an instrumental accompaniment by William Walton. One of the movements is called Popular Song.
Performance
Monday April 26
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst (1874 – 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, he composed many other works across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success. Holst was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, the elder of the two children of Adolph von Holst, a professional musician, and his wife, Clara Cox.
The Planets is a seven-movement orchestral suite written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the solar system and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst.
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
(Love the conductor - full of jollity)
Initially I was going to use this next version from the Proms, but the conductor was just not jolly enough.
Far too serious, I think. Have a look at the beginning and see if you agree.
Performance 2
Tuesday April 27
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis (1505 – 1585) was an English Renaissance composer who occupies a primary place in anthologies of English choral music. He is considered one of England's greatest composers. Tallis served at court as a composer and performer for Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I.
Spem in alium (Latin for "Hope in any other") is a 40-part Renaissance motet composed around 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. It is considered by some critics to be the greatest piece of English early music.
Performance (8 and a half minutes, the rest is applause)
Wednesday April 28
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958) was an English composer. His works include operas, ballets, chamber music, secular and religious vocal pieces and orchestral compositions including nine symphonies, written over sixty years.
The Lark Ascending is a short, single-movement work inspired by the 1881 poem of the same name by the English writer George Meredith. It was originally for violin and piano, completed in 1914 but not performed until 1920. The composer reworked it for solo violin and orchestra after the First World War. It is a very popular piece, usually ranked very high in the annual Classic FM Hall of Fame.
More information about the piece from Classic FM
Perfomance (16 mins)
Thursday April 29
Arthur Sullivan
Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842 – 1900) is best known for 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. His works include 24 operas, 11 major orchestral works, ten choral works and oratorios, two ballets, incidental music to several plays, and numerous church pieces, songs, and piano and chamber pieces. His hymns and songs include Onward, Christian Soldiers and The Lost Chord.
Pineapple Poll is a Gilbert and Sullivan-inspired comic ballet, created by choreographer John Cranko with arranger Sir Charles Mackerras. Pineapple Poll is based on "The Bumboat Woman's Story", one of W. S. Gilbert's Bab Ballads, written in 1870. The Gilbert and Sullivan opera H.M.S. Pinafore was also based, in part, on this story. For the ballet, Cranko expanded the story of the Bab Ballad and added a happy ending. All the music is arranged from Sullivan's music.
Pineapple Poll Ballet Suite Opening (3 mins)
Full ballet (43 mins)
Friday April 30
Edward Elgar
Sir Edward William Elgar (1857 – 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations and the Pomp and Circumstance Marches.
Elgar composed his Variations on an Original Theme, popularly known as the Enigma Variations, between October 1898 and February 1899. It is an orchestral work comprising fourteen variations on an original theme. Variation 9 is often referred to as Nimrod.
Performance
(look out for the Downton Abbey moment)
Weekend May 1/2
William Walton
Sir William Turner Walton (1902 – 1983) was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera. His best-known works include Façade and the British coronation anthems Crown Imperial and Orb and Sceptre.
Crown Imperial is an orchestral march first performed at the coronation of King George VI in 1937 and substantially revised in 1953. Walton originally composed the march for performance at the planned coronation of Edward VIII, but as Edward abdicated the piece received its first performance at George's coronation. Crown Imperial was also performed at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, along with another Coronation March written by Walton, Orb and Sceptre. Crown Imperial was performed more recently at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011. It was one of my early favourites during childhood.
Crown Imperial conducted by WW himself
Weekend Extra
Façade is a series of poems by Edith Sitwell, best known as part of Façade – An Entertainment in which the poems are recited over an instrumental accompaniment by William Walton. One of the movements is called Popular Song.
Performance