Rachmaninov tops classical survey

Rachmaninov has topped the survey since 2001

Rachmaninov's second piano concerto has been voted the UK's favourite piece of classical music in an annual survey by the radio station Classic FM.

The concerto, which was used in the classic romance Brief Encounter, has now topped the Hall of Fame countdown for five years running.

Vaughan Williams' A Lark Ascending came second, while Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A was third.

The results of the survey were revealed on Classic FM over the Easter weekend.

The top five was completed by Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 5, and Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1 in G minor, which held the top spot in the Hall of Fame for five years before being dethroned by Rachmaninov in 2001.

Constantly evolving

The most prolific composer in the Hall of Fame, which counts down the 300 most popular pieces of classical music, was Mozart, with 21 entries.

Elgar was the most popular British composer, with 11 works in the list, including two - Cello Concerto in E Minor and Enigma Variations - in the top ten.

British composers account for 56 of the works in the list, with Karl Jenkins leading the field of living British composers. He has three entries in the chart, including The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace at number nine.

"The Hall of Fame is a constantly evolving chart and provides a unique insight into the musical tastes of the nation," said Darren Henley, Classic FM station manager.

"As the largest poll in the public's classical music tastes, it's fascinating to see how works fall in and out of favour."