Pacifist, agnostic, vegetarian and cultivator of rare apples: Gerald Finzi (1901-56) is some distance from our idea of the go-getting cosmopolitan composer of the early twentieth century. Yet his many songs and rare chamber and orchestral pieces have endured in the repertoire and are beloved by many. Come and learn more about this quiet, brilliant musician and thinker whose 125th birthday we celebrate this year.
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Gerald Finzi may never have enjoyed the international acclaim of contemporaries like Michael Tippet or Benjamin Britten, but his importance, particularly as a composer of songs (and above all his settings of Thomas Hardy) is hard to underestimate. A quiet figure who worked hard not only on his own account, but to promote the music of Ivor Gurney (whom he never met), Finzi is an intriguing character in British musical life. We will trace his biography and sample some of his most endearing, and enduring, compositions.
What will we cover?
Finzi’s training and career trajectory as a composer, conductor and editor
Case studies of key works, including the Clarinet Concerto, Dies natalis and songs
A consideration of Finzi’s legacy and how he is viewed by contemporary audiences
What will I achieve? By the end of this course you should be able to...
Summarise the details of Finzi’s career
List key features of Finzi’s compositional approach, and name his most important works
Discuss the significance of Finzi’s music to his own contemporaries, and how his music is considered today
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
No prior musical knowledge is required. The session is suitable for learners at all levels. An interest in English music, song repertoire, or 20th‑century culture will be helpful, but enthusiastic beginners are warmly welcome. Texts for vocal works will be provided.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The session will comprise combinations of lecture, discussion, quizzes, guided listening, video and score study. Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via Google Classroom. You will be encouraged to do extra reading and listening outside class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class, links to these materials will be available online in Google Classroom after each session.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
To find out more about music history classes please visit Music history: your guide to our programme, which lists our full programme of classes ordered by term, and by day of the week. You may then click on each title to read the full course outline.
Dr Katy Hamilton is a freelance researcher, writer and presenter on music. She is fast becoming one of the UK’s most sought-after speakers on music, providing talks for a host of organisations including the Wigmore Hall, Southbank Centre, BBC Proms, Ryedale Festival and Oxford Lieder Festival. In addition, she regularly writes programme notes for the Salzburg Festival, North Norfolk Festival and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and is a frequent contributor to BBC Radio 3’s Record Review. Katy worked as Graham Johnson’s research assistant for his monumental Franz Schubert: The Songs and their Poets (Yale University Press, 2014) and is co-editor of Brahms in the Home and the Concert Hall (Cambridge University Press, 2014) and Brahms in Context (Cambridge University Press, 2019). In addition to her research and presentation work, Katy has taught at the Royal College of Music, City Lit, the University of Nottingham and Middlesex University, working with students in performance workshops and music history classes. She has been teaching Music History courses at City Lit since 2015. She is also Public Events Programmer at the Foundling Museum in central London.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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https://www.citylit.ac.uk/great-composers-gerald-finzi3034507Great composers: Gerald Finzihttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/g/r/great_composers_gerald_finzi_-md039a-1080.jpg3939GBPInStock/Courses/Courses/Performing arts/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Music history/Courses/New courses228513141351136317431228513141351<p>Pacifist, agnostic, vegetarian and cultivator of rare apples: Gerald Finzi (1901-56) is some distance from our idea of the go-getting cosmopolitan composer of the early twentieth century. Yet his many songs and rare chamber and orchestral pieces have endured in the repertoire and are beloved by many. Come and learn more about this quiet, brilliant musician and thinker whose 125th birthday we celebrate this year.</p>003034351Great composers: Gerald Finzi3939https://www.citylit.ac.uk/media/catalog/product/g/r/great_composers_gerald_finzi_-md039a-1080_1.jpgInStockDaytimeTueKeeley StreetAvailable coursesOne-off onlyWeekday2026-12-08T00:00:00+00:00Beginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allDec 2026Performing artsMD039A3939Great composers: Gerald Finzi393939Katy Hamiltongreat-composers-gerald-finzi/md039a-2627<p>Pacifist, agnostic, vegetarian and cultivator of rare apples: Gerald Finzi (1901-56) is some distance from our idea of the go-getting cosmopolitan composer of the early twentieth century. Yet his many songs and rare chamber and orchestral pieces have endured in the repertoire and are beloved by many. Come and learn more about this quiet, brilliant musician and thinker whose 125th birthday we celebrate this year.</p>0000-Available|2026-12-08 00:00:00<p>Gerald Finzi may never have enjoyed the international acclaim of contemporaries like Michael Tippet or Benjamin Britten, but his importance, particularly as a composer of songs (and above all his settings of Thomas Hardy) is hard to underestimate. A quiet figure who worked hard not only on his own account, but to promote the music of Ivor Gurney (whom he never met), Finzi is an intriguing character in British musical life. We will trace his biography and sample some of his most endearing, and enduring, compositions.</p><p>Pacifist, agnostic, vegetarian and cultivator of rare apples: Gerald Finzi (1901-56) is some distance from our idea of the go-getting cosmopolitan composer of the early twentieth century. Yet his many songs and rare chamber and orchestral pieces have endured in the repertoire and are beloved by many. Come and learn more about this quiet, brilliant musician and thinker whose 125th birthday we celebrate this year.</p><ul><li>Finzi’s training and career trajectory as a composer, conductor and editor</li><li>Case studies of key works, including the Clarinet Concerto, <em>Dies natalis</em> and songs</li><li>A consideration of Finzi’s legacy and how he is viewed by contemporary audiences</li></ul><ul><li>Summarise the details of Finzi’s career</li><li>List key features of Finzi’s compositional approach, and name his most important works</li><li>Discuss the significance of Finzi’s music to his own contemporaries, and how his music is considered today</li></ul><p>No prior musical knowledge is required. The session is suitable for learners at all levels. An interest in English music, song repertoire, or 20th‑century culture will be helpful, but enthusiastic beginners are warmly welcome. Texts for vocal works will be provided.</p><p>The session will comprise combinations of lecture, discussion, quizzes, guided listening, video and score study.<br>Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via Google Classroom.<br>You will be encouraged to do extra reading and listening outside class.</p><p>You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class, links to these materials will be available online in Google Classroom after each session.</p><p>To find out more about music history classes please visit <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/blog/music-history-your-guide-our-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Music history: your guide to our programme</a>, which lists our full programme of classes ordered by term, and by day of the week. You may then click on each title to read the full course outline.</p>MusicMusic historyvirtual393939MD039ANONETue08/12/2610:30 - 12:3010:3012:301 session1One-off onlyDaytimeWeekdayKSKeeley StreetKaty HamiltonBeginners, Some experience, Advanced, Suitable for allAvailable courses2026-12-08T00:00:00+00:00Dec 2026Performing arts3939Great composers: Gerald Finzigreat-composers-gerald-finzi/md039a-2627<p>Pacifist, agnostic, vegetarian and cultivator of rare apples: Gerald Finzi (1901-56) is some distance from our idea of the go-getting cosmopolitan composer of the early twentieth century. Yet his many songs and rare chamber and orchestral pieces have endured in the repertoire and are beloved by many. Come and learn more about this quiet, brilliant musician and thinker whose 125th birthday we celebrate this year.</p>0000-Available|2026-12-08 00:00:00<p>Gerald Finzi may never have enjoyed the international acclaim of contemporaries like Michael Tippet or Benjamin Britten, but his importance, particularly as a composer of songs (and above all his settings of Thomas Hardy) is hard to underestimate. A quiet figure who worked hard not only on his own account, but to promote the music of Ivor Gurney (whom he never met), Finzi is an intriguing character in British musical life. We will trace his biography and sample some of his most endearing, and enduring, compositions.</p><p>Pacifist, agnostic, vegetarian and cultivator of rare apples: Gerald Finzi (1901-56) is some distance from our idea of the go-getting cosmopolitan composer of the early twentieth century. Yet his many songs and rare chamber and orchestral pieces have endured in the repertoire and are beloved by many. Come and learn more about this quiet, brilliant musician and thinker whose 125th birthday we celebrate this year.</p><ul><li>Finzi’s training and career trajectory as a composer, conductor and editor</li><li>Case studies of key works, including the Clarinet Concerto, <em>Dies natalis</em> and songs</li><li>A consideration of Finzi’s legacy and how he is viewed by contemporary audiences</li></ul><ul><li>Summarise the details of Finzi’s career</li><li>List key features of Finzi’s compositional approach, and name his most important works</li><li>Discuss the significance of Finzi’s music to his own contemporaries, and how his music is considered today</li></ul><p>No prior musical knowledge is required. The session is suitable for learners at all levels. An interest in English music, song repertoire, or 20th‑century culture will be helpful, but enthusiastic beginners are warmly welcome. Texts for vocal works will be provided.</p><p>The session will comprise combinations of lecture, discussion, quizzes, guided listening, video and score study.<br>Course materials (handouts, scores, links to online videos) will be shared via Google Classroom.<br>You will be encouraged to do extra reading and listening outside class.</p><p>You may also wish to purchase some of the music books or recordings discussed in class, links to these materials will be available online in Google Classroom after each session.</p><p>To find out more about music history classes please visit <a href="https://www.citylit.ac.uk/blog/music-history-your-guide-our-programme" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Music history: your guide to our programme</a>, which lists our full programme of classes ordered by term, and by day of the week. You may then click on each title to read the full course outline.</p>MusicMusic historyconfigurable
13631351Music historyhttps://www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/performing-arts/music/music-history1/2/285/1314/1351/13631/Courses/Performing arts/Music/Music history
