Gerald Finzi (1901-1956) is an important English composer of the 20th century. His musical style is unique and influenced by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) for it incorporates elements and materials of English traditional folk. Continuing the characteristics of the 19th century Nationalism, Finzi is productive in music writing and diverse in styles. Moreover, vocal works take the majority of his work. The research song setting of this report "Let us garlands bring" was a gift from Finzi to Vaughan Williams in celebration of his 70th birthday. It was officially completed in 1942. The lyrics are selected from five poems of the four plays written by the renowned British playwriter William Shakespeare (1564-1616). This set of works expresses joy and cheerfulness which is not commonly found in Finzi’s music.

This essay starts with an overview of the history and development of British art songs. Then through exploring the background of the playwright Shakespeare and his literary style, one can gain an in-depth understanding of Finzi's life and his musical creation techniques and characteristics. The author will analyze Finzi’s creative concept, music structure and poetic composition for the research theme, in order to further propose an appropriate interpretation of the songs, as well as to conclude this research in the final chapter. One hopes that this research experience will not only enhance author’s personal understanding but also enlighten future graduate researchers with a more systematic approach towards the research subject.