Vaughan Williams's 'Lark Ascending' is the most popular piece of classical music by a British composer, or it is if a survey by Classic FM is to be believed.
In the listener poll of favourite British compositions, Edward Elgar came in both second and third with 'Cello Concerto in E minor' and 'Variations On An Original Theme' respectively, while Karl Jenkins, the only living composer in the top ten, came fourth with 'The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace'. Williams reappeared at fifth place with 'Fantasia On A Theme of Thomas Tallis'.
The rest of the top ten went like this: Holst's 'The Planets' at 6, Handel's 'Messiah' at 7, Elgar's 'Pomp and Circumstance March No 4' at 8, and then Handel's 'Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba' at 9 and 'Zadok The Priest' at 10.
Some 20,000 listeners took part in the poll, which resulted in a top 30 featuring 15 composers in total, six of them still alive.