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- Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) Unquestionably one of the finest English composers in history, Tallis is known for the sublime choral settings he wrote – including the hymn, ‘Thou wast, O God’, which inspired Vaughan Williams’ (see below) Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, and the stunning 40-part masterpiece, Spem in Alium – which translates as ‘I Have Hope in No Other’ and is written for eight choirs of five separate voices.
- William Byrd (1543-1623) Byrd wrote some of the most sublime music known to the human ear. A Renaissance master, his music defined the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, who had a deep love for his music and so turned a blind eye to his devout Roman Catholicism.
- Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Purcell is considered England’s greatest composer of the Baroque era. Inspired by Italian and French Baroque styles, he shaped a uniquely English version and was dubbed the “Orpheus Britannicus” for his skill in combining powerful counterpoint with expressive, flexible and dramatic lyrical settings.
- Edward Elgar (1857–1934) Elgar is perhaps the quintessential English composer, many of his works having entered the classical music canon. Both his enduring Cello Concerto and Violin Concerto remain staples of their instruments’ core concert repertoire, recorded time and time again by the finest musicians out there.
- Gustav Holst
- Henry Purcell
- Benjamin Britten
- Edward Elgar
- Thomas Tallis
- Ralph Vaughan Williams
- George Frideric Handel
- Max Richter
- William Byrd
- Ethel Smyth
Our first composer, Gustav Theodore Holst, was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, into a family of musicians. He learned to play the piano, violin, and trombone. Due to asthma, he focused on composing rather than playing and went on to study at Oxford and the Royal College of Music. In 1892, he wrote his first major work, Lansdown Castle, which w...
Baroque composer Henry Purcellwas born in Westminster, London. Though he lost his father when he was five, his uncle ensured he became a chorister like his brothers and studied under notable composers. By the time his voice changed in 1673, he was already composing, with a style that blended French and Italian influences, and had written an ode for...
A talented composer, conductor, and pianist, Edward Benjamin Britten created a wide range of music, from operasand vocal pieces to orchestral and chamber music. Born in Suffolk, England, Britten showed early musical talent despite no family background in music. He learned piano and studied at the Royal College of Music in London, as well as with co...
Born in Worcestershire to a violinist, Sir Edward William Elgar learned violin and piano as a child. Before becoming famous as a composer in the 1890s, Elgar played in and conducted orchestras for many years. As a Roman Catholic, Elgar’s European influences were controversial in England, leading to mixed opinions about his music. Despite this, he w...
Born around 1500, Thomas Tallis was a Renaissance composerknown for his sacred choral music. There isn’t much known about his early life, but the first public record of him is as the organist at Dover Priory in 1531. He composed music for several English monarchs, including Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. In the 1540s, he worked for...
Like many on this list, Ralph Vaughan Williams started his musical journey early, with his aunt teaching him piano when he was five. Though talented, he preferred the violin. Vaughan Williams began writing for musical journals and composing operas, ballets, chamber music, vocal music, and folk songs, with a focus on English folk and Tudor styles. A...
Baroque composer George Frideric Handel might have been born in Germany, but he lived in London most of his life and is considered an English composer. Handel showed musical talent early on, despite his father’s disapproval. His secret studies led to an opportunity to play the organ at the Holy Trinity Palace Chapel, and his father later arranged f...
Another German-born British composer on this list is Max Richter. He started as a pianist and studied composition and piano at the University of Edinburgh and the Royal Academy of Music in London. Richter co-founded the classical ensemble Piano Circus, known for its contemporary and minimalist style, and released five albums with them. From 1996 to...
A musical prodigy from Lincoln, England, William Byrdbegan composing music as a child and served as the organist and master of choristers at Lincoln Cathedral from 1563 to 1572. He later joined the Chapel Royal, where he had more opportunities to compose for Queen Elizabeth I. In 1575, Byrd published Cantiones sacraewith composer Thomas Tallis. Byr...
Dame Ethel Mary Smyth was a pioneering British composer and a proud member of the women’s suffrage movement. She started taking piano seriously at 17, even though her father was against it. Not satisfied with studying at Leipzig Conservatory, she took private lessons and worked with various mentors before returning to England to continue her work. ...
#1 Henry Purcell. Henry Purcell, born in 1659, is often regarded as one of the greatest English composers of all time. Purcell’s work marks the height of the Baroque era in England, and he is best known for his operas, sacred music, and chamber music.
- Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) Without doubt one of England's finest ever composers, Thomas Tallis is the tops when it comes to choral music. His tune 'Thou wast, O God' went on to inspire Vaughan Williams to create his Fantasia masterpiece.
- William Byrd (c.1539-1543-1623) The Renaissance master composed in many of the forms current in the England of his time, including sacred and secular vocal works, keyboard and consort music.
- Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Although he was influenced by Italian and French styles, Purcell's legacy was a uniquely English version of Baroque. Without a doubt one of the greatest English composers, none other approached his fame or brilliance until Elgar came along two centuries later.
- Hubert Parry (1848-1918) As a composer, Parry is best known for the song Jerusalem, the coronation anthem I was glad, and the choral and orchestral ode Blest Pair of Sirens.
We asked 167 top musicians to vote for the best British composers of all time. Do you agree with their choices? And who was voted number one?
From Elgar to Vaughan Williams, Britten to Tallis, England has been home to some of the world’s best classical composers, who have forever enriched the country’s musical heritage. From the famous to the less well known, we list the very best composers England has produced and to whom we owe so much.
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But who are the greatest composers the country has ever produced? We asked 167 of today’s leading musicians to have their say, with five votes each, based on the criteria of originality, influence, technique and, of course, sheer enjoyability to listen to and perform.
