England Music

Throughout its history, and much more so in recent years, the English have taken the podium when it comes to sound art. They have produced bands and singers who, thanks to their talent to break into the music industry and destroy everything that was thought to be a rule , are considered the greatest musical exponents in modern history.

But everything has a past, and, although the history of music is lost at a certain point, partly due to the lack of elements that could record sounds in very distant times, it is still possible to study a little of the music of previous centuries.

Religious music

Traveling back in time several centuries ago, we find that, for a long time and around the world, music was used as a form of religious expression . Either in indigenous tribes, or in countries with a higher degree of "civility", songs were performed in order to venerate the God or deities on whom they based their beliefs.

This is why, when we go back to England in the 16th and 17th centuries , we find a large number of compositions created to be performed in churches. Although, for these times, there was a conflict between the Catholic and Protestant religions, for which reason English composers had to move between the accusations they could receive from the representatives of both doctrines.

This was the case of Thomas Tallis , who is considered one of the best English composers who ever lived, and whose works, highly secular in content, make him a mandatory part of the music anthologies of the churches of England. One of his greatest abilities was knowing how to overcome the ravages of religious problems, which allowed him to create pieces during the Catholic and Protestant reigns.

Who took the leadership of the new generation of musicians after the death of Tallis was William Byrd

 , his disciple, who is considered by many to be the best composer England has ever produced. But, unlike his teacher, he was not exempt from religious turmoil, which affected his entire career, although, by the time he died, he had amassed a considerable fortune.

It should be noted that this pair of teacher and disciple cooperated on several occasions, and, being among the members of their audience the monarchs Henry VIII, Queen Mary , and Elizabeth I , they managed to obtain many benefits, among which was the privilege granted to them Elizabeth to print and publish her compositions, this being one of the first times in English history that such a right was given to any author.

Baroque Era

Later, during the Baroque era , the music of England was influenced by the incorporation of international sounds, in addition, national styles of different types were also fused together. Henry Purcell is one of the names that stands out the most in this era, thanks to the incorporation that he made in his interpretations not only of the French and Italian style, but also for the touches of folk music that he embedded in the themes of he.

Another who also greatly influenced English music during the Baroque era was George Frideric Handel . His compositions have earned him recognition as one of the greatest composers of this era, yet his works are still used in modern times. An example of this is his Zadok the Priest , which was created for the coronation of George II, and has been performed during each subsequent British coronation.

Mentioning this, we must also include his Solomon , more specifically the symphony that serves as the opening of the third act, known as The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, which was used in the opening performance of the 2012 London Olympics .

To add a curious touch: in the year 1672, a musician named John Banister decided, in order to raise money, to open his house to the public so that people could enjoy live concerts at low prices. The main characteristic of these presentations was that the songs were chosen by the audience, which had not been done to date, and gave rise to the currently popular gigs , which are music presentations or live performances.

English Folklore

Regarding what is referred to as folk music, it has contributed with its many centuries of antiquity to the creation of various genres, such as shanties, jigs, hornpipes and dance music.

One of the most famous venues worldwide for opera is the  Royal Opera House in Covent Gardens, which has received the great exponents of this genre throughout history, being highlighted by singers as one of the places required to introduce yourself before being considered famous.

A characteristic of folk music is that, in general, it is the sound interpreted by those who make daily life in a nation, of course, this depends on the time in which we find ourselves. In the English case, the traditional sounds are influenced by its sister nations of the United Kingdom , but, in turn, this has had a great influence in other countries, such as the United States and Canada .

Modern Music from England

But, despite everything mentioned above, if you ask someone on the street what is the best music in England? it is very probable that the Beatles will answer you . And it is that, despite all the historical contributions in the field of classical music that the English nation has engendered, the musical field of this country is mostly known for its great contributions to pop and rock culture.

The greatest symbol of English music are  The Beatles , this rock group that emerged in  Liverpool  revolutionized western music in such a way that no group could ever match what this group achieved musically during the time it existed, but they have not only given this copy but historical figures of this genre have also emerged from this country such as:  Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elton John, Queen, and The Rolling Stones .
Aha, and a question arises, how did The Beatles change music? Really, and if I had to describe it with a single word, this would be maximum creativity and madness . Okay, no cheating. The great cornerstone of the success of this group was the way in which the different styles, and the great creativity, that its members possessed could mix with each other and not hinder each other.

Both the use of a high range of instruments, some of which had never been used in this type of composition, and the daring to experiment with the production of their songs, were also part of what allowed them to obtain that magic that characterizes even now.

By the way, I know it sounds exaggerated to say "no group could ever match what this group achieved musically", but I'll give you a little evidence: Currently they are still the best-selling artists of all time, and, during the 4 of April 1964, they placed songs in positions 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of the Billboard Top 100. It doesn't seem so exaggerated anymore, does it?

Of course, not everything in the musical world is masculine; women have also managed to create successful careers and bring about change in the industry. To demonstrate this we have the Spice Girls , who hold the title of being the female group with the most copies sold. In addition, they were creators of a worldwide phenomenon, similar to that of The Beatles, which promoted women under the slogan of female power , thus becoming icons of 90s pop culture.

Another of the genres that have been born on the British streets is Punk and the entire social movement that it caused in previous generations with its protest and rebellion, its particular way of dressing and combing its hair, all with the aim of transgressing any type of aesthetic elaboration conceived before the appearance of this type of music.

The raison d'être of this genre was the distancing that, in the eyes of several fans, rock had suffered in the 1960s-1970s, since they felt that rock should be rebellious and wild, something that they did not perceive in the new songs. . One of its greatest exponents was the band Sex Pistols , originally from London, and internationally recognized.

Along with this genre , Heavy Metal also emerged , which is based on blues rock, psychedelic rock and hard rock, along with the use of heavy guitars and dense sounds. Among its best known representatives are Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Wishbone Ash.

As we can see, most of the musical fields in which England has stood out are still valid today, and their artists are still very listened to. With legends like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, it's hard to think of a time when English artistic passion wasn't present, in one way or another, on global playlists.