Arnold Bax, a Londoner, was drawn to the rugged coasts of Ireland and south-west England due to his lifelong attachment to Celtic legend, literature, and landscape.
Composition History
Benjamin Britten was 'knocked sideways' by Frank Bridge's suite The Sea when he heard it performed at the 1924 Norfolk and Norwich Festival.
Historical Context
Britain's long coastline and historical dominance of the world's oceans have inspired many British composers to write sea-themed musical works.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Arnold Bax stated that the sea, in its many moods, conspicuously entered his work, particularly dominating his orchestral tone-poem Tintagel.
Composition History
Ralph Vaughan Williams's A Sea Symphony, written between 1903 and 1909, was his first of nine symphonies and sets texts by the American poet Walt Whitman.
Album & Artwork
This collection of British musical masterpieces inspired by the ocean takes its title from Edward Elgar's song cycle with orchestra, Sea Pictures.
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