Culture of Great Britain

CONTENTS 1 Artistic and cultural life in Britain. 2 Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren. 3 Westminster Abbey. 4 St. Paul s Cathedral. 5 The Tower of London. 6 Festivals of music and drama. 7 The Bath Festival. 8 The Chichester Theatre Festival. 9 The Welsh Eisteddfod. 10 The Edinburg Festival. 11 The national musical instrument of the Scots. 12 Music and musicians. 13 Art Galleries. 14 The art of acting. 15 British Drama Theatre today. CULTURE of GREAT BRITAIN Artistic and Cultural Life in Britain Artistic and cultural life in Britain is rather rich. It passed several main stages in its development.

The Saxon King Alfred encouraged the arts and culture. The chief debt owed to him by English literature is for his translations of and commentaries on Latin works. Art, culture and literature flowered during the Elizabethan age, during the reign of Elizabeth I it was the period of English domination of the oceans.

It was at this time that William Shakespeare lived. The empire, which was very powerful under Queen Victoria, saw another cultural and artistic hey-day as a result of industrialisation and the expansion of international trade. But German air raids caused much damage in the First World War and then during the Second World War. The madness of the wars briefly interrupted the development of culture. Immigrants who have arrived from all parts of the Commonwealth since 1945 have not only created a mixture of nations, but have also brought their cultures and habits with them. Monuments and traces of past greatness are everywhere.

There are buildings of all styles and periods. A great number of museums and galleries display precious and interesting finds from all parts of the world and from all stage in the development of nature, man and art. London is one of the leading world centres for music, drama, opera and dance. Festivals held in towns and cities throughout the country attract much interest.

Many British playwrights, composers, sculptors, painters, writers, actors, singers and dancers are known all over the world.

Inigo Jones and Christopher Wren

Inigo Jones was the first man to bring the Italian Renaissance style t... His buildings were very un-English in character, with regularly spaced... He was a mathematician, an astronomer and, above all, an inventor. The best-known buildings designed by Ch. Pauls Cathedral in London and the Sheldonion Theatre in Oxford.

St. Paul s Cathedral

St. Paul s Cathedral. The inscription on the tomb reads Beneath this stone rests the body of... But each monarch left some kind of personal mark on it. It is now a museum of arms and armour and as one of the strongest fort...

The Chichester Theatre Festival

The Chichester Theatre Festival. The fame achieved by the Edinburgh Festival, to say nothing of the lar... The first season scored a considerable success. With an apron stage there is no proscenium arch, or stage sets of the ... This calls for the use of an entirely different technique on the part ...

The Welsh Eisteddfod

It was held occasionally up to 1819, but since then has become an annu... There are at least twenty-five other major Eisteddfods from May to Nov... The Edinburgh Festival It is a good thing that the Edinburgh Festival ... It gives intelligent diversion for most of the twenty - four hours eac... Every hall in the city is occupied by some diversion and you may find ...

The national musical instrument of the Scots

The chanter has a number of holes or keys by means of which the tune i... The sound of the bagpipes is very stirring. The old Highland clans and... It was probably introduced into Britain by the Romans. In Scotland the bagpipe is first recorded in the 16th century during t... Now bagpipes can be seen and head only in the northern counties of Eng...

Music and musicians

They still continue today in the Royal Albert Hall. Their harmony singing and good humour win them friends everywhere. British groups often set new trends in music. New staff and styles continue to appear. Gilbert and A.

Art Galleries

Art Galleries. If you stand in Trafalgar Square with your back to Nelsons Column, you... It has been in this building since 1838 which was built as the Nationa... Most of the National Gallery collections of British paintings were tra... Thus, the Tate Gallery exhibits a number of interesting collections of...

The art of acting

The art of acting. From the fall of the Roman Empire until the 10th century, acting hardl... It was very difficult for most actors to earn a living on the stage, e... When Shakespeare arrived in London in 1586, the acting was very crude ... He was the first actor to be knighted.