Music, theatre, art and architecture

A Modern, Thriving Society · 8 min read

Music: Henry Purcell was organist at Westminster Abbey in the 17th century. George Frederick Handel, a German, spent many years in England and wrote Water Music for King George I. Gustav Holst wrote The Planets. Sir Edward Elgar is best known for his Pomp and Circumstance Marches. Ralph Vaughan Williams was influenced by English folk music. Sir William Walton wrote marches for coronations. Benjamin Britten wrote A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and the opera Peter Grimes, and founded the Aldeburgh festival in Suffolk.

The Proms is an eight-week summer season of orchestral classical music, organised by the BBC since 1927 and held mainly at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Many popular music festivals take place in the summer, including Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight Festival and the Download festival. The National Eisteddfod of Wales is an annual festival of music, literature and performance. The Mercury Music Prize is for the best album from the UK and Ireland; the Brit Awards are also held each year.

Theatre: London’s West End is known as “Theatreland”. The Mousetrap, a murder-mystery by Agatha Christie, has run continuously in the West End since 1952. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has written music for many musicals. Pantomimes are popular at Christmas. The Edinburgh Festival, including the Fringe, takes place every summer. The Laurence Olivier Awards recognise the best in British theatre.

Art: Thomas Gainsborough painted portraits in country settings. John Constable painted landscapes, especially Dedham Vale. J M W Turner painted landscapes in a modern style. The Pre-Raphaelites, such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, painted detailed pictures in bright colours. Henry Moore was a sculptor. David Hockney contributed to the “pop art” movement. The Turner Prize, established in 1984, celebrates contemporary art.

Architecture: Inigo Jones, Sir Christopher Wren, Robert Adam, Sir Edwin Lutyens and modern architects such as Sir Norman Foster, Lord Richard Rogers and Dame Zaha Hadid. Capability Brown and Gertrude Jekyll designed famous gardens.

Key facts

• The Proms — BBC classical music season since 1927, Royal Albert Hall.
• The Mousetrap — Agatha Christie, longest-running West End play.
• National Eisteddfod — Wales.
• Turner Prize — contemporary art, since 1984.
• Sir Edwin Lutyens designed the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

Important dates

Important people

• Henry Purcell: Composer; organist at Westminster Abbey.
• George Frederick Handel: German composer; Water Music for George I.
• Gustav Holst: Composer of The Planets.
• Sir Edward Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance Marches.
• Benjamin Britten: Peter Grimes; founded the Aldeburgh festival.
• Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber: Composer of many hit musicals.
• John Constable: Landscape painter of Dedham Vale.
• Henry Moore: Sculptor.
• David Hockney: Pop art pioneer.
• Sir Edwin Lutyens: Architect of the Cenotaph and much of New Delhi.

Memory tips

• Proms = Royal Albert Hall in summer. Eisteddfod = Wales.
• Constable = countryside; Turner = light and modern style.

Practice questions

Source: Life in the UK: A Guide for New Residents (3rd ed.), ch.4: Arts and culture