{"id":16120,"date":"2022-04-27T13:22:38","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T11:22:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=113363"},"modified":"2022-04-27T13:42:12","modified_gmt":"2022-04-27T11:42:12","slug":"great-classical-music-inspired-by-the-british-countryside","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/great-classical-music-inspired-by-the-british-countryside\/","title":{"rendered":"Great classical music inspired by the British countryside"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Fergus Collins\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 27 April 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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Music has a unique power to convey emotion and atmosphere. It can summon the imagination, stir the soul and evoke memories. For centuries, great composers have walked in the countryside to find creative stimulation and many have been inspired to capture and evoke the mood and the feel of the places they encountered. Birdsong, wind in the trees, a river running \u2013 all these have been the source of many wonderful compositions. And music also has the power to transport us, the listeners, to sweeping downland, meadows of wildflowers or a storm in a woodland.<\/p>\n

In a recent BBC Countryfile Magazine podcast \u2013 the Plodcast \u2013 Jeremy Pound of BBC Music Magazine<\/a> took Plodcast host Fergus Collins for a walk in the Cotswolds to talk about which composers\u2019 works were the most evocative of the British countryside. The Cotswold Hills and the nearby Malvern Hills were, it seems, particularly fertile landscapes for composers such as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar. You can listen to this podcast episode here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

You can also listen the Spotify playlist for this podcast episode.<\/a><\/p>\n

Five great pieces of music inspired by the British countryside<\/h2>\n
So when you can\u2019t get out to the countryside yourself, why not tune in to stunning music that brings the natural world into your living room? From the song of a skylark above the downlands of southern England to the ancient brooding presence of a Dorset heath, these five works \u2013 selected by Jeremy Pound of BBC Music Magazine \u2013 summon uplifting and mood-changing visions of the green outdoors. But let\u2019s add to this list \u2013 please do tell us of your own<\/p>\n
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Ralph Vaughan Williams<\/h3>\n
The Lark Ascending<\/strong><\/p>\n
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In this gorgeous work written in 1914, a solo violin represents the lark, spiralling and soaring ever upwards into the sky. It is accompanied by a subdued and almost ominous orchestral backdrop \u2013 does it represent dark clouds gathering? Much of Vaughan Williams\u2019 work was inspired by rural folk songs and settings \u2013 another wonderful piece to enjoy is Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tullis.<\/p>\n
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