This comprehensive survey chronicles the complex and often contradictory state of choral music in Britain through a series of in depth interviews with twenty-three major conductors, including Stephen Cleobury, Simon Halsey, and John Eliot Gardner. Differences between the philosophies and practices of English conductors and their American counterparts are vast: English Ways candidly explores distinctively British philosophies, techniques, backgrounds, ideals, likes and dislikes. The foreword by John Rutter provides an incisive historical overview and framework for the discussions.