October 2006
Hear this page read aloud
On 3 October, Royal Mail release their new Sounds of Britain stamp issue. We have found stamps in our archive that celebrate just a small part of Britain's wide and varied musical heritage.
British Composers, 1985
Back in May 1985, Royal Mail issued the British Composers stamps in honour of some of our most celebrated composers such as Frederick Delius and Gustav Holst, composer of The Planets.
George Frideric Handel, perhaps best known for his Messiah and Water Music, was born in Germany in 1685. He became a British subject when he moved to London in 1710. A highlight of his career was when he wrote four anthems for the coronation of King George II. One of those anthems has been played at every coronation ceremony since - proof that Handel's legacy lives on!
Sir Edward Elgar was born in Worchesteshire in 1857. He is most famous for two particular pieces of work - his Enigma Variations and the ever popluar Pomp and Circumstance that is enjoyed by millions every year at the last night of the BBC Proms.
British Cultural Traditions, 1976
The following stamps are from the British Cultural Traditions stamps from August 1976, and illustrate more traditional forms of music associated with Britain.
A typically Celtic instrument, bagpipes are perhaps associated most closely with Scotland. Although the exact origins of the instrument are unknown they are likely to have existed in some form in pre-Christian times.
Wales is often referred to as 'the land of song' and has a particularly strong relationship with the harp - early references date the instrument back as far as 4000 BC!
Why not visit our current Stamp of the Month exhibition for 2007?
