VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, Ralph
b Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, 12 October 1872
d London, 26 August 1958, aged eighty-five
He was the son of a clergyman. He studied theory, piano and violin before the age of nine, and was educated at Charterhouse, the Royal College of Music, and Trinity College, Cambridge. After graduating from Cambridge he returned to the Royal College as a pupil of Stanford, and whilst there made a life-long friendship with Holst. He later went to Berlin to study under Bruch and Ravel. His private income allowed him to spend a great deal of time researching into English folk melody. After serving in World War I he taught at the Royal College. His last thirty years were spent mainly in creative work, and he achieved both fame and honours.
1888 (16)
Piano Trio
1900 (28)
Bucolic Suite, for orchestra
1903 (31)
The House of Life, song cycle (No 2 is 'Silent Noon')
1904 (32)
Songs of Travel
1906 (34)
Norfolk Rhapsodies No 1 to 3, for orchestra (No 2 and 3 are lost)
1907 (35)
In the Fen Country, symphonic impression
Towards the Unknown Region, song for chorus and orchestra
1908 (36)
String Quartet in G minor
1909 (37)
A Sea Symphony (Symphony No 1), words by Walt Whitman, for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra
The Wasps, incidental music
On Wenlock Edge, song cycle
1910 (38)
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, for strings (No 9 in Archbishop Parker's Psalter, p 1567)
1911 (39)
Five Mystical Songs, for baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra
1912 (40)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Phantasy Quintet, for strings
1913 (41)
A London Symphony (Symphony No 2)
1920 (48)
Shepherd of the Delectable Mountains, one-act opera (now also
forms Act IV of The Pilgrim's Progress)
(1920-1)
The Lark Ascending, for violin and small orchestra
Suite de Ballet, for flute and piano
Mass in G minor (1920-1)
Three Preludes for organ
1921 (49)
A Pastoral Symphony (Symphony No 3)
1923 (51)
Old King Cole, ballet
1924 (52)
Hugh the Drover, opera
1925 (53)
Concerto accademico, for violin and string orchestra
Flos Campi, suite for viola, small wordless choir and small orchestra
Sancta civitas, oratorio
1927 (55)
Along the Field, eight songs (Housman)
for voice and violin
1928 (56)
Sir John in Love, opera
Te Deum, in G major
1929 (57)
Benedicite, for soprano, mixed choir and orchestra
1930 (58)
Job, a Masque for Dancing, for orchestra
Prelude and Fugue in C minor for orchestra
1931 (59)
Symphony No 4 in F minor (1931-4)
Piano Concerto in C major
In Windsor Forest, cantata
1932 (60)
Magnificat, for contralto, women's chorus, solo flute and orchestra
1933 (61)
The Running Set, for medium orchestra
1934 (62)
Fantasia on Greensleeves, for orchestra
Suite for viola and small orchestra
1935 (63)
Five Tudor Portraits, choral suite in five movements
1936 (64)
Riders to the Sea, opera in one act
The Poisoned Kiss, romantic extravaganza with spoken dialogue, for thirteen soloists, mixed chorus and orchestra
Dona nobis pacem, cantata
1937 (65)
Festival Te Deum, in F major
1938 (66)
The Bridal Day, masque
Serenade to Music, for sixteen solo voices and orchestra
1939 (67)
Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus, for strings and harp
1940 (68)
Six Choral Songs - to be sung in time of war
Valiant for Truth, motet
1941 (69)
England, My England, for baritone, double chorus, unison voices and orchestra
1942 (70)
Coastal Command, orchestral suite from the film
1943 (71)
Symphony No 5 in D major
1944 (72)
Symphony No 6 in E minor (1944-7)
Concerto for oboe and strings
A Song of Thanksgiving, for soprano, speaker, mixed choir and orchestra
String Quartet No 2 in A minor
1945 (73)
Story of a Flemish Farm, orchestral suite from the film
1946-8 (74-6)
Partita for double string orchestra
Introduction and Fugue for two pianos
1949 (77)
Fantasia (quasi variazione)
on the 'Old 104th' Psalm Tune, for piano, chorus, organ (optional) and orchestra
An Oxford Elegy, for speaker, chorus and small orchestra
Folk Songs of the Four Seasons, cantata
1950 (78)
Concerto Grosso for string orchestra
The Sons of Light, cantata
Sun, Moon, Stars and Man, song cycle
1951 (79)
The Pilgrim's Progress, a Morality in a Prologue, Four Acts, and an Epilogue, for thirty-four soloists, chorus and orchestra
Romance, in Db major, for harmonica, strings and piano
1952 (80)
Sinfonia Antarctica (Symphony No 7), in five movements
1954 (82)
Concerto for bass tuba and orchestra in F minor
This Day (Hodie), a Christmas cantata
Violin Sonata in A minor
1955 (83)
Symphony No 8 in D minor (this was the first of the symphonies
which Vaughan Williams allowed to be given a number)
1956 (84)
A Vision of Aeroplanes, motet
Symphony No 9 in E minor (revised 1958)
Two Organ Preludes, Romanza and Toccata
Epithalamium, cantata (1956-7)
Ten Blake Songs, for tenor and oboe
1958 (86)
The First Nowell, nativity play for soloist, mixed chorus and small orchestra
Vocalises, for soprano and B flat clarinet
Four Last Songs, for voice and piano
Thomas the Rhymer, opera in three acts (uncompleted at Vaughan Williams' death; exists in short score only)
Cello Concerto (incomplete at Vaughan Williams' death)