Course Details in 2026/27 Session

Module Title	LH Landscape, Counterpoint and Morality: The British Symphony, 1880–1960
School	Lan, Cult, Art Hist & Music
Department	Music
Module Code	10 28180
Module Lead	Ben Earle
Level	Honours Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Exclusions
Description	Between the last two decades of the nineteenth century and the 1960s, it is hard to find a major British composer who did not produce at least one composition in symphonic form. Many wrote ‘cycles’: those of Stanford, Parry, Vaughan Williams, Bax, Rubbra, Tippett, Arnold and Simpson are only the most familiar. Such a prolific production of symphonies, which reached a peak of intensity between 1935 and 1960, cannot be observed in other Western European countries of the period, though parallels can be found in the USA and Soviet Russia. In these latter cases, as in the British, an emphasis on symphonic production reflects convictions about the public role of music in both the shaping of national identity and the cultivation of social attitudes. British music of the first half of the twentieth century is often regarded as preoccupied above all with evocations of landscape. In this module we shall explore how British composers also employed symphonic form to engage pressing issues of the day (especially those arising from two World Wars), typically promoting a mood of collective moral engagement by means of strenuous contrapuntal argument.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Recognize the essential stylistic features of British symphonic composition as it develops over a period of 80 years demonstrate a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of how ‘purely musical’ compositions may be understood to engage with ‘extra-musical’ concerns, such as national identity, important historical events, landscape and morality Critically discuss specific compositions in detail in relation both to ‘purely musical’ and ‘extra-musical’ concerns and to their interrelations Demonstrate an ability to engage critically with previous literature on British symphonic music of this period, going beyond works cited on reading lists if necessary
Assessment	28180-01 : Essay 1 : Coursework (50%) 28180-02 : Essay 2 : Coursework (50%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: Two essays (2500 words, 50% each). Reassessment: No resits are permitted in final year. If students miss the assessed task owing to extenuating circumstances, the failed task would be rescheduled at a later date.
Other
Reading List