Oratorio credited with writing the first English language oratorio, "Esther". Handel's imitators included the Italian Lidarti who was employed by the Amsterdam Jewish community to compose a Hebrew version of "Esther". Britain continued to look to Germany for its composers of oratorio. The Birmingham Festival commissioned various oratorios including Felix Mendelssohn's "Elijah" in 1846, later performed in German as "Elias". German composer Georg Vierling is noted for modernizing the secular oratorio form. John Stainer's "The Crucifixion" (1887) became the stereotypical battlehorse of massed amateur choral societies. Edward Elgar tried to revive the genre around the turn of century with the composition
Paul Drayton (composer) Paul Drayton (composer) Paul Drayton (born 28 December 1944) is a British composer, conductor, pianist, and teacher. He was educated at High Wycombe Royal Grammar School from 1956 to 1962. He studied music at Brasenose College, Oxford, and was subsequently Director of Music at New College School, Oxford. He later taught and was composer-in-residence at Stowe School near Buckingham. Many of his compositions are vocal. His piece entitled "Masterpiece" was sung by the King's Singers in their 2005 DVD release "From Byrd to the Beatles". He is the author of a listeners' guide to music entitled "Unheard Melodies or Trampolining