Biography and Chief Works of   

Ralph Vaughan Williams

1872.

Born in Gloucestershire, son of a vicar.  Educated at Charterhouse, Cambridge and Royal College of Music, London.  

Pupil of Parry and Stanford.

1896.

Combined posts as organist and lecturer with travel and further study in Berlin, and, later, under Ravel in Paris.  

          Developed slowly as a composer.

1901.

Took Music Degree at Cambridge. 

Began to take an interest in collecting English folk songs, and used their idioms in his own songs.  

Explored countryside, imbibing its atmosphere.  Wrote 3 Norfolk Rhapsodies, into which folk tunes were integrated.

1905.

'Towards the Unknown Region' for chorus and orchestra.  Began the 'Sea' symphony. (Words of both by Walt Whitman.)

1909.

'On Wenlock Edge' for tenor, string quartet and piano, and other works for vocal solo, chorus and orchestra.  Also 'Fantasia on a Theme by Tallis', and incidental music for Aristophanes' 'Wasps', which was performed at Cambridge.

1911-1914.

Wrote first opera, 'Hugh the Drover', and second symphony, the 'London', partly programmatic.

1914-1918.

Served in army throughout the war.

1919.

Made teacher of composition at Royal College of Music.  Compositions began to get known both in England and abroad, particularly at Contemporary Music Festivals.

1922.

'Pastoral' symphony (no- 3) produced, and Mass in G minor written.

1924.

'Hugh the Drover' produced by Royal College of Music, and then on professional stage (a rarity for any English opera to be produced at that time).

1925.

A series of sacred vocal works, such as 'Sancta Civitas', 'Benedicite'.

1931.

'Job', a masque for dancing.

1935.

Fourth symphony, a harsh, stark work.  Received Order of Merit.

1938.

'Serenade to Music' for i6 solo voices, written for Sir Henry Wood's jubilee, and later arranged for solos, chorus and orchestra.

1940.

Began to write for films.  "Forty-ninth Parallel" was the first.

1943.

Fifth symphony.

1948.

Sixth symphony.  

Film music for " Scott of the Antarctic from which 'Sinfonia Antartica' (seventh symphony) was produced in 1953.

  1949.

Opera 'The Pilgrim's Progress', produced in 1951 for Festival of Britain.

1956.

Eighth symphony.

1957.

Ninth symphony.

1958.

Died.

A truly English composer, who, after a late start, developed a style of his own, in which folk tunes, Tudor idioms, movement of parallel concords, a sacred and mystical element, a contemplative style and a love of the country are all blended.  

A prolific composer who wrote in many forms.

Orchestral works:

9 symphonies-all mentioned above; overture to the 'Wasps'; 'Fantasia on a Theme of Tallis'; 'Fantasia on Greensleeves', etc; 'The Lark Ascending' for violin and orchestra; oboe concerto; romance for harmonica, etc.

Choral works:

'Mass in G minor'; 'Sancta Civitas'; 'Benedicite'; and many others.

A number of hymns, including the tune 'Sine Nomine' to the words 'For all the Saints'.

Five operas, including 'Hugh the Drover', and 'The Pilgrim's Progress'.  Ballets, including 'Job'.

Many songs, including 'Linden Lea'; 'Silent Noon'; 'Songs of Travel'; 'The Water Mill'.  Also some fine part songs.  'Serenade to Music' for 16 solo voices.

Some chamber music.

Film music, including "Scott of the Antarctic".