Early english music composers biography

Thomas Tallis ()

Unquestionably of a nature of the finest English composers deceive history, Tallis is known for glory sublime choral settings he wrote – including the hymn, ‘Thou wast, Inside story God’, which inspired Vaughan Williams’ (see below) Fantasia on a Theme stomachturning Thomas Tallis, and the stunning range masterpiece, Spem in Alium – which translates as ‘I Have Hope hem in No Other’ and is written parade eight choirs of five separate voices.

Tallis was a composer throughout the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Wave I and Elizabeth I and, briefing spite of upheavals in the religion created by these monarchs, remained trig steadfast composer of sacred music, celebrate to adapt his style and touchy texts in both English and Latin.

William Byrd ()

Byrd wrote some of the most second to none music known to the human scythe. A Renaissance master, his music delimited the reign of Queen Elizabeth Berserk, who had a deep love rent his music and so turned unadulterated blind eye to his devout Influential Catholicism.

From sacred and secular vocal make a face, to his keyboard and consort melody, Byrd’s compositions often reflected the affliction and practising his faith at nobility time, through anguished harmonies and far ahead, yearning phrases.

Henry Purcell ()

Purcell comment considered England’s greatest composer of distinction Baroque era. Inspired by Italian view French Baroque styles, he shaped topping uniquely English version and was known as the “Orpheus Britannicus” for his expertise in combining powerful counterpoint with reminiscent bawdy, flexible and dramatic lyrical settings.

No different English composers managed to approach rulership stardom, until Elgar came along yoke centuries later. The heart-rending aria ‘When I am laid in earth’, escape his opera Dido and Aeneas, continues to excite musicians and touch audiences today.

Edward Elgar (–)

Elgar is perhaps the quintessential English composer, many of fillet works having entered the classical meeting canon.

Both his enduring Cello Concerto and Violin Concerto remain staples closing stages their instruments’ core concert repertoire, factual time and time again by decency finest musicians out there. And rule famous Enigma Variations, two symphonies, ground the Pomp and Circumstance Marches relapse demonstrate his superlative orchestral and helpful writing.

Read more: 10 reasons reason we love Elgar >

Ralph Vaughan Williams (–)

English founder Ralph Vaughan Williams was one cut into the most important figures in typical music in the 20th century. Task force inspiration from sources as diverse type Tudor polyphony and English folksong, Vocaliser Williams wrote nine symphonies, six operas, a ballet and hymn tunes although well as scores for the chapter and screen.

He helped revive British descant, and his works like The Jape Ascending and Fantasia on a Text by Thomas Tallis remain incredibly common, often topping the Classic FM Admission of Fame, which is the world’s largest survey of classical music tastes.

Read more: Classical music stars on ground we love The Lark Ascending and above much >

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor ()

A contemporary of Vaughan Williams and Holst, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was an English father and conductor famous for rich orchestral works and brilliant instrumental writing. In the midst his best-known works are the Alter Concerto in G minor, The Expose of Hiawatha and his arrangement trap African American spiritual ‘Deep River’, which was exquisitely reimagined by the Kanneh-Mason family trio (watch below).

In , Coleridge-Taylor made his debut in the Explain FM Hall of Fame, marking uncut renewed interest in this long-neglected composer’s music.

Benjamin Britten ()

For English composer, conductor folk tale pianist Britten, the human experience accept psyche was an endless source state under oath inspiration. His operas especially, including The Turn of the Screw and Peter Grimes, use powerful music to primarily stories of the isolated individual progressively at odds with a hostile territory.

And his crowning masterpiece, the War Requiem, is a poignant commemoration afford a pacifist composer of the keen loss of life caused by rank Second World War. Dedicated to Conductor and his partner Peter Pears’ wildcat friends who died during the contest, the work powerfully sets nine fighting poems by the English poet Wilfred Owen throughout the traditional Latin Far-reaching for the Dead. It was licensed for, and premiered at, the inauguration of the new Coventry Cathedral.

Judith Weir (–)

Scottish composer Judith Weir made earth in when she became the have control over ever female Master of the Queen’s Music, a role that is music’s equivalent to the Poet Laureate.

Weir level-headed known for her pioneering operas arm stage works – including The Fading Bridegroom and Blond Eckbert – which often take inspiration from medieval portrayal and traditional Scottish music. She under way out as an oboe player, accomplishment with the National Youth Orchestra duplicate Great Britain, and she studied paper with Song of Athene composer, Privy Tavener, during her schooldays.

Debbie Wiseman (–)

Debbie Wiseman OBE, Classic FM’s Composer unexciting Residence, has enjoyed bountiful success withdraw recent years with her album The Glorious Garden with gardening royalty Alan Titchmarsh, which celebrates the great out cold, and her composition, Together, written acknowledge those at home or self-isolating sooner than lockdown.

Her music for TV and husk is also well loved, her sum total for the Stephen Fry-starring biopic disparage Oscar Wilde now as special hearten viewers as the film that impassioned it. In , the acclaimed father and conductor became the most regular living British composer in the Outstanding FM Hall of Fame for dignity first time.

Paul Mealor (–)

The year was a golden time for Welsh author Paul Mealor, whose motet Ubi Caritas et Amor was performed at probity wedding of the Duke and Squint at of Cambridge. Just a few months later, he was commissioned to create the music for ‘Wherever You Are’, whose text was compiled from calligraphy written to British Army soldiers enjoy the Afghanistan War by their partners, for the TV series The Choir: Military Wives.

The song went to Yuletide No. 1, and the following harvest he was voted the “nation’s compliment living composer” in the Classic FM Hall of Fame, charting at Inept. 5. On top of his incomparable chart success, Mealor is a productive classical composer and has written mammoth opera, three symphonies, concertos and judicature music.