A Downland Suite is a 1932 composition for brass band in four movements by John Ireland.
The English composer John Ireland wrote the work in 1932 for the National Brass Band Championship of Great Britain at a time when original pieces were regularly commissioned for major contests.
[5] The suite is a pictorial depiction enshrining the composer's love for the Sussex downs and has been described by Donald McLeod as "sunnily bucolic".
[6][7] In keeping with its intention as a contest piece, the suite is both technical and expressive, and is complicated and difficult to read.
The Elegy has an Elgarian flavour from its melodic structure whereas the Minuet is charming, having something of a bucolic feel.