john ireland was never much influenced by folksong like many other english composers of his time. his music is more related to impressionism. he liked the music of french composers such as debussy and ravel as well as igor stravinsky and bartók. his "piano concerto" is one of his best works. it shows that he developed his own personal style of harmony. most of his other good works are short pieces, including many for piano solo. his best-known piece is the song "the holy boy". it is heard in many different arrangements. his songs to poems by a. e. housman, thomas hardy, christina rossetti, john masefield, rupert brooke and others, are among some of the best english art songs.. he also wrote hymns, carols, and other sacred choral music; among choirs he is probably best known for the anthem "greater love hath no man", often sung in services that remember the victims of war. another choral work, "these things shall be" expresses his deepest hopes for mankind, although in his last years he said that he hated the work.