Search - The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra;Martin Souter;The Band of Her Majesty's Coldstream Guards;The Band of Her Majesty's Royal Marines;and many more :: Under an English Heaven

A lone shepherd pipes an English tune as he comes down from the hills, and the orchestra then invokes an image of the English landscape so intense that we cannot but be moved. Memories of radio programmes follow, with beautiful music from another age - but which dates from only a few decades ago! Songs follow, and music for royalty. Handel's 'Water Music' was composed for a King, and a progress up the Thames by barge. 'Heart of oak', 'Jupiter' and Jerusalem' are all well-known tunes, that, in the right time and place -a celebration perhaps, or maybe even just during a walk in beautiful countryside - can send a shiver down the spine. The English are very good at this: evoking in music a spirit of place, a sense of landscape. Composers of the past have also, through their music, been able to create for many listeners a sense of their roots, a sense which we often feel to be sadly lacking in the rushed and busy daily lives of many British people today. This music can ground us back where we belong, while, curiously, at the same time letting our spirits soar, even if it is only to the imaginary blue skies of the English countryside in summer! From 'Greensleeves' to 'Jupiter', this selection of music in celebration of England's green and pleasant land will evoke fond memories of summer holidays, end-of-term assemblies and listening to the wireless, a time of pride in our country and its heritage.