English Pastoral School


The English Pastoral School, sometimes called the English Nationalist School or by detractors the Cow Pat School, was a group of English composers of classical music working during the early to mid 20th century, who sought to build a distinctively English style of music by basing their compositions on Tudor music and English folk music. The leading composers of the school were Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst, with other notable figures including George Butterworth, John Ireland, Edmund Rubbra, Gerald Finzi, Ernest John Moeran and Peter Warlock.