Thank you

• Many scores are available on IMSLP

• John Ireland
• Frank Bridge
• Britten’s scores can be found on Scribd
• Holiday Diary
• Notturno
• These requires membership to download, or just upload a random
document and you can download 1 document for free
• Philip Martin’s scores are under copyright, but can be purchased:
• Zodiac Pieces – requires shipping
• Broadway Boogie Woogie – PDF will be emailed to you upon purchase
• Remember to support contemporary composers by buying their
music!
• Thank you for the valuable feedback, much appreciated
• For further questions or recommendations, do feel free to contact
me tungkhng@gmail.com
 An introduction to British
Composers of the 20th Century
Objectives
• Introduce British composers
• Encourage students to explore lesser-known
works (20th century and beyond)
• Include alternative pieces in Trinity/ABRSM
diploma exams
Scope
• Piano works by: John Ireland, Benjamin Britten
and Frank Bridge
• Basic biography, their life and compositional
styles
• Personal perspectives on interpretation and
approach
 Scottish

Irish

English
Welsh
 Henry Purcell, Edward Elgar, Gustav
Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams,
Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Gerald
Finzi, Frederick Delius, Frank Bridge, Thomas
Arne, Hubert Parry, William Byrd, John Rutter,
Peter Warlock, John Tavener, Richard Addinsell,
York Bowen, John Dunstable, John Dowland,
Arnold Bax, John Ireland, Arthur Bliss, Richard
Rodney Benett, Lennox Berkeley, Peter Racine Fricker,
John Joubert, Constant Lambert, Cyril Scott, Thomas
Tallis, William Walton…
John Ireland 1879 - 1962
• Studied at RCM
• Exposed to literature from young
• Unique tastes for literature
• Found comfort in nature
• Major Compositions:
• The Forgotten Rite, Sea Fever, Violin Sonata,
Sarnia, London Pieces
John Ireland 1879 - 1962
• Music classified into 7 ‘themes’
• Country & City
• Friendship & Love
• War & Peace
• Supernatural/pagan
• Largely romantic compositional styles
Decorations 1912 - 1913
• Decorations
I. Island Spell
II. Moon-glade
III. Scarlet Ceremonies
• Written after Debussy published his 1st book of
preludes
• Mystical feeling of countryside coastline
Opening bars of Island Spell
‘Ireland’ Chord in Decorations – I. Island Spell
London Pieces 1917 - 1920
• London Pieces
I. Chelsea Reach
II. Ragamuffin
III. Soho Forenoons
• Written in London
• Romantic style
Similar passages in Chelsea Reach and Ragamuffin
Similar melodic idea in Chelsea Reach and Ragamuffin
Categories?
• Country
• City
• War
• Peace
• Love
• Friendship
• Pagan
Sarnia 1940 - 1941
• Sarnia
I. Le Catioroc
II. In a May Morning
III. Song of the Springtides
• Main subject: a very good-looking boy
• Written in World War 2
Benjamin Britten 1913 - 1976
• Studied at RCM
• Private lessons with Frank Bridge
• Not the most friendly composer
• “Absolutely incapable of enjoying Elgar”
• Dismissive of VW’s works
• Despised Sir Adrian Boult
• One of the most decorated composers of the 20th
century
• Critics had high expectations
• Letter from Majorie Fass:
… In one way, because he has so many young friends who
adore and flatter him for his brilliant talent and who only
live on the superficial side of life, it won’t hurt him at all,
but pull him up, if the criticisms in the papers are harsh… If
Benjy (Benjamin Britten) develops some day later on, he will
see the insignificance of this work as it must be to all real
musicians…
Benjamin Britten 1913 - 1976
• Extremely hardworking from young
• Few works for piano solo
Benjamin Britten 1913 - 1976
• Holiday Diary Op. 5
I. Early Morning Bathe
II. Sailing
III. Fun-fair
IV. Night
• Loosely connected character pieces
• Personal tone in contemporary idioms
Introduction section in Holiday Diary Op. 5 – I. Early Morning Bathe
B section in Holiday Diary Op. 5 – II. Sailing
Holiday Diary Op. 5 1934
• Holiday Diary Op. 5
I. Early Morning Bathe
II. Sailing
III. Fun-fair
IV. Night
• Loosely connected character pieces
• Personal tone in contemporary idioms
• Dedicated to Arthur Benjamin
‘Swimming’ in Holiday Diary Op. 5 – I. Early Morning Bathe
Open intervals in Holiday Diary Op. 5 – II. Sailing
B section in Holiday Diary Op. 5 – II. Sailing
Open intervals in Holiday Diary Op. 5 – II. Sailing
‘Rondo’ theme in Holiday Diary Op. 5 – III. Fun-fair
Use of Thirds Holiday Diary Op. 5
Use of Thirds Holiday Diary Op. 5
Holiday Diary Op. 5 1934
• Holiday Diary Op. 5
I. Early Morning Bathe
II. Sailing
III. Fun-fair
IV. Night
• Loosely connected character pieces
• Personal tone in contemporary idioms
• Dedicated to Arthur Benjamin
Notturno 1963
• Commissioned set piece for Leeds Piano
Competition
• Tonal control over virtuosity
Notturno: More thirds in melody and open intervals in
accompaniment!
Notturno 1963
• Commissioned set piece for Leeds Piano
Competition
• Tonal control over virtuosity
• Birdcall motifs
Notturno – first appearance of the bird-call motif
Holiday Diary Op. 5 – IV. Night: note same intervals in both hands
 Shift in sound, where hands start to paly different intervals.

Holiday Diary Op. 5 – IV. Night

Notturno 1963
• Commissioned set piece for Leeds Piano
Competition
• Tonal control over virtuosity
• Birdcall motifs
Frank Bridge 1879 - 1941
• Violin lessons from his father
• Active in orchestra and chamber
• Serious disposition
• Reflected in his compositions
• Style detracted from public interests
Frank Bridge 1879 - 1941
• Early works written to sell
• Patronage allowed him to focus on composition
• ‘Modernism’ differed from his contemporaries
Three Sketches H.68 1906
• 3 Sketches H.68
I. April
II. Marigold
III. Valse Capricieuse
• Popular piano work
• Masterfully crafted sequencing
Sequence in 3 Sketches – I. April
Vignettes de Marseilles 1925
• Vignettes de Marseilles
I. Carmelita
II. Nicolette
III. Zoraida
IV. En Fȇte
• ‘Debussy’-ish sounds
• Bridge visited Mediterranean
• I, II, and III orchestrated in 1938
In Autumn H.162 1924
• In Autumn H.162
I. Retrospect
II. Through the Eaves
• Similar tonal language to the piano sonata
• Evocative titles
• Eaves
Interweaving LH and RH in In Autumn – II. Through the Eaves
Philip Martin b. 1947
• Emphasis on tonal quality
• Zodiac Pieces
• Short works for studies on pedalling and
articulation
• Broadway boogie Woogie
• Written while living in NY