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He is known mainly for his songs – practically all to words by English poets. His cycle of [[Shakespeare]] songs; “Let us Garlands Bring” is a particular favourite. His greatest  love, however, was the poetry of [[Thomas Hardy]]. He wrote dozens of settings, with 7 opus numbers, from as early as 1921 right up to his death – he usually had several “on the go” at any one time and a series of his late songs was collected and prepared for publication by his widow and son after he died.

He is known mainly for his songs – practically all to words by English poets. His cycle of [[Shakespeare]] songs; “Let us Garlands Bring” is a particular favourite. His greatest  love, however, was the poetry of [[Thomas Hardy]]. He wrote dozens of settings, with 7 opus numbers, from as early as 1921 right up to his death – he usually had several “on the go” at any one time and a series of his late songs was collected and prepared for publication by his widow and son after he died.

His vocal proclivities extended to choral works, both sacred and secular, where his sympathetic treatment of the words are as evident as in his songs.  On the secular side, a major work is ''“Ode to Intimations of Immortality”'', a setting for tenor, choir and string orchestra of all but two parts of [[William Wordsworth]]’s great work of the same name. His best major sacred work – also usually for the same forces - is ''"Dies nativitas”'' (''“Day of birth”''.) Both these works, after decades of neglect, have enjoyed popularity, both “live” and on record, in recent years. He wrote many choral pieces – anthems and the like – for the annual and ancient  “Three Choirs Festival” (he shares this distinction with some of the great choral composers of the age – [[Edward Elgar]], [[Hubert Parry]], [[Gustav Holst]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] – men who were major influences on his music.

His vocal proclivities extended to choral works, both sacred and secular, where his sympathetic treatment of the words are as evident as in his songs.  On the secular side, a major work is ''“Ode to Intimations of Immortality”'', a setting for tenor, choir and string orchestra of all but two parts of [[William Wordsworth]]’s great work of the same name. His best major sacred work – also usually for the same forces - is ''"Dies nativitas”'' (''“Day of birth”''.) Both these works, after decades of neglect, have enjoyed popularity, both “live” and on record, in recent years. He wrote many choral pieces – anthems and the like – for the annual and ancient  “Three Choirs Festival” (he shares this distinction with some of the great choral composers of the age – [[Edward Elgar]], [[Hubert Parry]], [[Gustav Holst]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] – men who were major influences on his music).

His pastoral side is most evident in his orchestral music. The early “Severn [[Rhapsody]]”  is about as bucolic as you can get without mooing; and as firm as Vaughan Williams and [[George Butterworth]] in its statement of time and place. He wrote, or attempted to write - some of his concertante works failed in their original forms – works for [[cello]] and [[piano]] with orchestra.

His pastoral side is most evident in his orchestral music. The early “Severn [[Rhapsody]]”  is about as bucolic as you can get without mooing; and as firm as Vaughan Williams and [[George Butterworth]] in its statement of time and place. He wrote, or attempted to write - some of his concertante works failed in their original forms – works for [[cello]] and [[piano]] with orchestra.