From Elizabethan times to Elgar Tippett and Britten-James Day presents his examination of what is meant when a piece of music is described as being 'very English' and the musical elements that might combine to create such a response. Day investigates the whole tapestry of English composition from the Elizabethans onwards and pays particular attention to six characteristically 'English' composers - Purcell Handel Sullivan Elgar Vaughan Williams and Britten. Is it a question of harmony and melodic shape Is it a question of subject matter and social forces Is 'Englishness' simply in the ear of the beholder An enthusiastic informed and thought-provoking guide.