Following his death, Bridge's music was virtually forgotten, eclipsed by another, more terrible European war. Today, his music enjoys an ever-growing audience, largely due to the efforts of the Frank Bridge Trust, which began to subsidize recordings as early as the 1960s. Ironically, Bridge's music has reached far more people since his death than during his own lifetime, through that peculiar 'virtual concert hall' made possible by postwar advances in the quality of sound-recording. And through this opportunity to hear comes inevitable appreciation.
    This music is too varied to fit a single category. While certainly 'English,' it may even also be called 'European.' It has its own unique brand of motion, color, and expressivity. It is solidly written, never pretentious. Influences and affinities include Brahms, Parry, Debussy, Berg, Bax, Holst, among others. In composer Anthony Payne's apt words, Bridge drew upon both "conservative and radical" tendencies of his time.
    Appreciation for this music grows with the listener's familiarity, perhaps moreso than with some other composers'. Whatever your prior experience, there is surely a pleasant discovery awaiting you somewhere among the works of this underrated master.