Editing England (section)

===Performing arts===
{{further|Folk music of England}}
{{See also|Music of the United Kingdom}}
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|filename3=09 The Queen's Dolour (A Farewell) Henry Purcell Transcribed Ronald Stevenson (1958) Mark Gasser Piano (Live Recording).ogg
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The traditional [[folk music of England]] is centuries old and has contributed to several genres prominently; mostly [[sea shanties]], [[jig]]s, [[hornpipe]]s and [[dance music]]. It has its own distinct variations and regional peculiarities. Ballads featuring Robin Hood, printed by [[Wynkyn de Worde]] in the 16th century, are an important artefact, as are [[John Playford]]'s ''[[The Dancing Master]]'' and [[Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer|Robert Harley]]'s ''[[Roxburghe Ballads]]'' collections.<ref>{{harvnb|Chappell|1966|p=690}}.</ref> Some of the best-known songs are ''[[Greensleeves]]'', ''[[Pastime with Good Company]]'', ''[[Maggie May (folk song)|Maggie May]]'' and ''[[Spanish Ladies]]'' amongst others. Many [[nursery rhymes]] are of English origin such as ''[[Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary]]'', ''[[Roses Are Red]]'', ''[[Jack and Jill (nursery rhyme)|Jack and Jill]]'', ''[[London Bridge Is Falling Down]], [[The Grand Old Duke of York]], [[Hey Diddle Diddle]]'' and ''[[Humpty Dumpty]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Lax|1989|p=7}}.</ref> Traditional English Christmas carols include "[[We Wish You a Merry Christmas]]", "[[The First Noel]]", "[[I Saw Three Ships]]" and "[[God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen]]".

Early English composers in classical music include Renaissance artists [[Thomas Tallis]] and [[William Byrd]], followed by [[Henry Purcell]] from the [[Baroque music|Baroque period]] and [[Thomas Arne]] who was well known for his patriotic song [[Rule, Britannia!]]. German-born [[George Frideric Handel]] spent most of his composing life in London and became a national icon in Britain, creating some of the most well-known works of classical music, especially his English oratorios, ''[[Messiah (Handel)|The Messiah]]'', ''[[Solomon (Handel)|Solomon]]'', ''[[Water Music (Handel)|Water Music]]'', and ''[[Music for the Royal Fireworks]]''.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Birth of British Music: Handel – The Conquering Hero |publisher=BBC |date=15 July 2019 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kntl1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170514114225/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00kntl1 |archive-date=14 May 2017}}</ref>
[[File:The Beatles arrive at JFK Airport.jpg|thumb|[[The Beatles]] are the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in popular music.<ref>{{cite news |url={{GBurl |id=rdU1xtIWJz0C |q=The Beatles have sold around 1&nbsp;billion records and cassettes}} |title=The Guinness Book of Records 1999 |isbn=9780851120706 |last1=Kynaston |first1=Nic |year=1998 |publisher=Guinness}}</ref>]]

Classical music attracted much attention in the 18th century with the formation of the [[Birmingham Triennial Music Festival]], which was the longest running classical music festival of its kind until the final concerts in 1912. The [[English Musical Renaissance]] was a hypothetical development in the late 19th and early 20th century, when English composers, often those lecturing or trained at the [[Royal College of Music]], were said to have freed themselves from foreign musical influences. There was a revival in the profile of composers from England in the 20th century led by [[Edward Elgar]], [[Benjamin Britten]], [[Frederick Delius]], [[Gustav Holst]], [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]] and others.<ref>{{harvnb|Stradling|1993|p=166}}.</ref> Present-day composers from England include [[Michael Nyman]], best known for ''[[The Piano]]'', and [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]], whose musicals have achieved enormous success in the [[West End theatre|West End]] and worldwide.

In [[popular music]], many English bands and solo artists have been cited as the most influential and best-selling musicians of all time. Acts such as [[the Beatles]], [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Pink Floyd]], [[Elton John]], [[Queen (band)|Queen]], [[Rod Stewart]], [[David Bowie]], [[the Rolling Stones]] and [[Def Leppard]] are amongst the highest-selling recording artists in the world.<ref>{{cite web |author=Recording Industry Association of America |author-link=Recording Industry Association of America |title=Top Selling Artists |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTopArt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701163039/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=tblTopArt |archive-date=1 July 2007 |access-date=5 September 2009 |publisher=riaa.com}}</ref> Many musical genres have origins in (or strong associations with) England, such as [[British invasion]], [[progressive rock]], [[hard rock]], [[mod (subculture)|Mod]], [[glam rock]], [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[Britpop]], [[indie rock]], [[gothic rock]], [[shoegazing]], [[acid house]], [[UK garage|garage]], [[trip hop]], [[drum and bass]] and [[dubstep]].<ref>{{harvnb|Else|2007|p=65}}.</ref>

[[File:Royal Albert Hall Rear, London, England - Diliff.jpg|thumb|The [[Royal Albert Hall]]. Since the hall's opening in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres have appeared on its stage. ]]
Large outdoor [[List of music festivals in the United Kingdom|music festivals]] in the summer and autumn are popular, such as [[Glastonbury Festival|Glastonbury]], [[V Festival]], and the [[Reading and Leeds Festivals]]. England was at the forefront of the illegal, free [[rave]] movement from the late 1980s, which inspired the pan-European culture of [[teknival]]s.<ref>Matthew Collin, John Godfrey (2010). "Altered State: The Story of Ecstasy Culture and Acid House" p. 258.</ref> The [[Boishakhi Mela]] is a [[Bengali New Year]] festival celebrated by the [[British Bangladeshi]] community. It is the largest open-air Asian festival in Europe. After the [[Notting Hill Carnival]], it is the second-largest street festival in the UK, attracting over 80,000 visitors.

The most prominent [[opera house]] in England is the [[Royal Opera House]] at [[Covent Garden]].<ref name="foreman">{{harvnb|Foreman|2005|p=371}}.</ref> [[The Proms]] is a major annual cultural event in the English calendar.<ref name="foreman" /> [[The Royal Ballet]] is one of the world's foremost classical ballet companies. The [[Royal Academy of Music]] is the oldest [[Music school|conservatoire]] in the UK, founded in 1822, receiving its [[royal charter]] in 1830.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Royal Academy of Music {{!}} University of London |url=https://www.london.ac.uk/federation/royal-academy-music |access-date=24 February 2024 |website=london.ac.uk}}</ref> England is home to numerous major orchestras such as the [[BBC Symphony Orchestra]], the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], the [[Philharmonia Orchestra]], and the [[London Symphony Orchestra]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=- PPL |url=https://www.ppluk.com/london-symphony-orchestra-tops-ppl-chart-ranking-uk-classical-ensembles/ |access-date=1 May 2021 |website=ppluk.com}}</ref> Other forms of entertainment that originated in England include the [[circus]]<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/may/15/chipperfields-circus-family-dynasties Great dynasties of the world: The Chipperfields] ''[[The Guardian]]'' Retrieved 18 February 2011.</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/2929565.stm "The circus comes to the Circus"]. BBC News. Retrieved 13 December 2014</ref><ref>Hamilton, John (2000) ''Entertainment: A Pictorial History of the Past One Thousand Years'' p. 24. Retrieved 3 February 2011.</ref> and the [[pantomime]].<ref name="Panto">David Christopher (2002). "British Culture: An Introduction". p. 74. Routledge,</ref>