Composers In The Countryside

In September 1910, Ralph Vaughn Williams conducted the premiere of this piece in Gloucester Cathedral. Simon Halsey finds out how we can hear the cathedral, and surrounding landscape, in the music.

Simon Halsey visits the heath and discovers what inspired Holst to write the piece and how we can hear the landscape in the music.

4/5. Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath

5/5. Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire: Simon Halsey visits Chosen Hill in Gloucestershire, where the young Howells used to walk, and discovers how we can hear the landscape in the music.

Although he demurred at first, Elgar did write it, living, during the time of the composition, in a cottage where he could see the hills in the distance.

Legend has it that Caractacus was a British chieftain who fought off the Romans, but was eventually captured and went to Rome, where he so impressed the Emperor that he was allowed to live.

Simon Halsey walks the Malverns, talks to Elgar scholar Michael Foster and discovers how the landscape of the Malvern hills, and surrounding woodland, can be heard in the music.

1/5. Elgar - Caractacus

Elgar's mother suggested that he write a piece based on the Iron Age hill fort at British Camp at The Malverns. Although he demurred at first, Elgar did write it, living, during the time of the composition, in a cottage where he could see the hills in the distance.

Produced by Sara Conkey.

Simon Halsey visits Aldeburgh in Suffolk to find out the inspiration behind Britten's opera and how we can hear the sea in Britten's music.

Simon Halsey finds out how we can hear the cathedral, and surrounding landscape, in the music.

Inspired by a hymn taken from a psalm that Vaughan Williams discovered when he was putting together the English Hymnal, this inspirational piece went back to the Elizabethan composer Thomas Tallis.

When, aged almost 40, he unveiled this piece by conducting it himself at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral, it was considered a quintessentially English work.

Simon Halsey returns to the place of its premiere, Gloucester Cathedral, and talks to music critic Stephen Johnson.

Producer Sara Conkey.

Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country.

3/5. Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Inspired by a hymn taken from a psalm that Vaughan Williams discovered when he was putting together the English Hymnal, this inspirational piece went back to the Elizabethan composer Thomas Tallis. When, aged almost 40, he unveiled this piece by conducting it himself at the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester Cathedral, it was considered a quintessentially English work.

Hardy took him in the car to what remained of Egdon Heath - made famous in Hardy's novel Return of the Native.

Holst returned to the heath at night, at Hardy's suggestion, to get further inspiration.

Simon Halsey visits Hardy's Cottage and Rainbarrow on the heath, talks to composer Colin Matthews and Hardy scholar Furse Swann, and discovers the reality of what you can hear of the heath in Holst's music.

Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country.

4/5. Gustav Holst's Egdon Heath

Holst was a big fan of Thomas Hardy and the two men met in August 1927, a few months before Hardy died. Hardy took him in the car to what remained of Egdon Heath - made famous in Hardy's novel Return of the Native. Holst returned to the heath at night, at Hardy's suggestion, to get further inspiration.

Simon Halsey presents a series on how composers were inspired by different parts of the country.

5/5. Herbert Howells' In Gloucestershire