Gerald Finzi

Let Us Garlands Bring

Gerald Finzi (1901-1956): British composer in the tradition of Elgar, via Vaughan Williams.

Although its lack of modernity made Finzi’s music respected but unfashionable during his lifetime, his works have enjoyed a surge of popularity in the last couple of decades. Finzi was particularly gifted in setting poetry, and his Let Us Garlands Bring (1929-1942), on poems from various plays by William Shakespeare (1564-1616), is one of his most popular works.

--September 16, 2007 (Biernacki/Smart: Love Songs and Cycles)