VW, Elgar, Walton, Britten and Holst: rank in the order you prefer

[Sergeant Rock]

1. VW
2. Elgar
3. Walton
4. Britten
5. Holst

That's the correct order 

Sarge

[springrite]

There are 120 ways these five composers can be listed.

You guys have a long way to go.

Yeah, right, you math wizard!

[Klaze]

Britten and VW

LARGE GAP

Walton and Elgar

SMALLER GAP

Holst

[71 dB]

Elgar

VW, Walton & Holst

Britten

[kyjo]

That's the correct order 

Sarge

It is indeed!

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Britten and VW

LARGE GAP

Walton and Elgar

SMALLER GAP

Holst

That's actually not bad....

[RebLem]

I'm not going to stick to the five you listed, though I will include them.  Here's my list:

1. Britten
2  Elgar
3  Arnold, Malcolm
4  Holst
5  Bridge, Frank
6  Bax, Arnold
7  Walton
8  VW

[kyjo]

I'm not going to stick to the five you listed, though I will include them.  Here's my list:

1. Britten
2  Elgar
3  Arnold, Malcolm
4  Holst
5  Bridge, Frank
6  Bax, Arnold
7  Walton
8  VW

VW last?! Oh dear!

[PaulR]

1. Britten
2. Walton (mainly for facade, Symphony #1, and the Viola Concerto
3. RVW
tied for last: Holst and Elgar.  (I only care for Elgar's Cello and Violin concerti.  For Holst, I really only know The Planets, St. Paul's Suite, Egdon Heath, and The Perfect Fool)

[kyjo]

For Holst, I really only know The Planets, St. Paul's Suite, Egdon Heath, and The Perfect Fool)

Then you're not really missing out on much IMO. Those are his best works. I've also developed a liking for Beni Mora, a nice little suite of colorful exotica.

[Todd]

Keeping in mind just this list, it would be:

RVW
Elgar
Britten
Walton
Holst

But that is somewhat misleading.  By far, the best work from any of the composers on the list is Peter Grimes.  Britten is a stage work composer above all else, but I have to be in the right mood to listen.  RVW and Elgar's orchestral works are easier to get into, and Elgar's Second has grown on me quite a bit in the last year or two, and RVW's Third and Fourth are quite good, but they are not top-shelf stuff in the same way as Peter Grimes.  Pity Bax is not listed . . .

[Christo]

RVW
Holst
Britten
Walton
Elgar

But, like many else here, I would insert a whole bunch of other UK composers in this list, if allowed to, but RVW would stay in pole position.

[RebLem]

Keeping in mind just this list, it would be:

RVW
Elgar
Britten
Walton
Holst

But that is somewhat misleading.  By far, the best work from any of the composers on the list is Peter Grimes.  Britten is a stage work composer above all else, but I have to be in the right mood to listen.  RVW and Elgar's orchestral works are easier to get into, and Elgar's Second has grown on me quite a bit in the last year or two, and RVW's Third and Fourth are quite good, but they are not top-shelf stuff in the same way as Peter Grimes.  Pity Bax is not listed . . .

Granted, Peter Grimes is a great work, no doubt about it.  But other highlights of his output for me are the Billy Budd, Noye's Fludde, the Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, the three string quartets, the Simple Symphony, the War Requiem, Sinfonia de Requiem, the Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, and, of course, the Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

As for Elgar, my favorites besides all the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, are the two symphonies and The Dream of Gerontius.

One I didn't mention that I think perhaps should be added to the pantheon is Malcolm Arnold.  And here, of course, we are talking only of modern or fairly modern composers.  Others of note are William Byrd, Thomas Tallis, John Dowland, and the incomparable Henry Purcell.  And I have been persuaded that Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir Charles Hubert H Parry, and Cyril Scott are very fine composers, too.