Some Vaughan Williams Resources

We've been talking about my favorite composer in Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble this week. Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was a major figure in 20th-century music, known for his symphonies, choral works, songs, and chamber music. He also composed three band pieces that are currently in our repertoire: Sea Songs, Flourish for Wind Band, and English Folk Song Suite.

As we learned in class, Vaughan Williams pronounced his first name "Rafe," not "Ralph." He played organ, piano, violin, and viola, and was drawn to composing at a young age. Besides writing music, he was a collector of English folk songs and helped to edit The English Hymnal. During WWI, he enlisted in the army as a 42-year old medic. Here is a video discussing his experiences and how they affected his music.

You can see more of these videos here.

One of my favorite pieces by RVW is his Six Studies in English Folksong. It was originally written for cello and piano, and it has been transcribed for many different solo instruments, including viola and tuba. Here is the original version as performed by Denise Djokic:

Here's one last page with some interesting facts. Enjoy!