English Composers and A.E. Housman

Few poets captured the imaginations of English composers in the early years of the twentieth century like A.E. Housman (1859-1936). I discuss here settings of Housman's A Shropshire Lad (1896) by Arthur Somervell, Vaughan Williams, Ivor Gurney and John Ireland, in the context of English musical pastoralism. [More...]

What is English Pastoral Music?

The pastoral genre or topic is often considered to have been particularly prevalent in English culture during the early twentieth century. I discuss here English musical pastoralism in the context of its literary, cultural and political influences. [More...]