features very different works by important British composers, from the baroque music of William Boyce, to the evocative of Benjamin Britten, and the majestic 5th symphony of Ralph Vaughan Williams. William Boyce William Boyce (1711-1779) began his musical career as a choirboy at St. Paul's Cathedral. He became an organist, holding several important posts, culminating with his appointment as Master of the King's Musick in 1757. One of the obligations of that post is to compo