"...arguably the most quintessentially English piece of music ever..."

Good grief. The words of the infamous chorus do not represent the sentiments of most Brits I know (who are many). I've heard "quintessentially English" applied to Holst's Jupiter, to Vaughan Williams' Tallis Fantasia, to Britten's Sea Interludes and to a host of other pieces. It's a tired cliche, nowt else.