Welcome to the Vaughan Williams Foundation – one of the foremost sources of funding for recent and contemporary music in the UK
The Vaughan Williams Foundation is a grant-giving charity which upholds the values and vision of the celebrated composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and his wife Ursula Vaughan Williams.
Our principal aims are to honour RVW’s desire to support his fellow composers through funding for performances and recordings, and to help make his own work widely accessible to the general public.
VWF was founded in 2022, 150 years after the composer’s birth, and brings together the two charities originally set up by Ralph (RVW Trust) and Ursula (Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust).
Funding
Vaughan Williams Scholarships
We are pleased to announce that four scholarships of £8,000 each have been awarded to postgraduate students of composition.
Congratulations to our 2026 Vaughan Williams Scholars: Patrick Gorry, Scarlett Henderson, Donnchadh Mac Aodha and Dominic Wright.
For more than 40 years Vaughan Williams funding has been awarded to support postgraduate study in composition. The 270 previous recipients have included names such as Julian Anderson, Christian Alexander, Anna Meredith, Graham Fitkin, Larry Goves, Gavin Higgins, Hannah Kendall and Daniel Kidane.
Funding
Applications
Since 2023 we have awarded over £1.2 million to composer projects. Composers are at the heart of what we do. VWF offers three annual funding rounds towards:
the performance, commission and recording of music by British and Irish composers active in the last 100 years, and/or
work which furthers the knowledge and understanding of the life and work of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and of Ursula Vaughan Williams.
Applications are currently open. We welcome applications from ensembles, organisations and individuals.
RVW
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) is one of the greatest of British composers whose music, generosity and vision for community music making continue to impact British musical life.
Find out more about the composer and explore our extensive archive of letters and photographs and catalogue of published works.
READ THE LATEST
THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Featured Letter
Get to know the man and his music
RVW’s wide-ranging correspondence – with family, pupils, fellow composers, conductors and performers – paints an intriguing portrait of the man, as well as providing fascinating insights into his major preoccupations: musical, personal and political.
Our searchable database includes over 5000 annotated transcriptions of his correspondence all available to read online.
Letter of the Day
Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Herbert Bardgett
Letter No.: VWL2352
[?February 1952]
SEA SYMPHONY
No.1
Page 1 , bar 2
Do you split the 4th beat on “Behold” or do the Choir come in at the end of the 4th beat?
No but I split on the next bar
1234X|1234’and
Be|hold—the
Same on Page 6, bar 2?
do p.6. bb 2 & 3
Page 13 Line 2, bar 1.
A breath after “these” and straight on to “nations” in one phrase?
Breath if anywhere after ‘sailors’ I shd think
Page 43, line 2, bar 1.
Do you split the triplet beats or do the choir just sing it in one beat?
Yes, & very largamente
2 bars later
Will you give the triplet beats in that bar?
Yes
No.2.
Do the Semi Chorus Altos sit till page 49 pocco meno mosso?
Use your judgement
Page 55, line 2, bar 1
Will you beat each note, or do the Choir sing the allargando to your 3?
Beat each quaver also beat out quavers at end of line (“and en-”
No.3
In 3 or 1 (I have done it both ways). Page 57.
½ way between the 2. Decisive 1 & indicates 2 & 3 except at beginning where I think we shd beat out all three
Page 58. Bar before “B”
In 2?
In 2
Page 66. 3rd bar in 2?
Yes
Is there an accel at “K”? Can you give me a metronome mark? Does 11 continue at the new tempo or get quicker and quicker?
Largamente probably q = 120 then seque accel h letter K until very probably the q = 160 but I make no promises.
Does it draw up again at “L” on page 67.
No
Page 72. “T”. In 1?
1 in the bar from letter R p.71
Page 77
Some of the very old Sheffield members tell me that years ago they sang the last bar, top line Sop and Con. Complete the word “following” like the tenors and start the word again with the basses. I rather think this was somebody’s stunt.
As printed
Page 80. Last bar – Any Rall whatsoever? Is “ing” long or short?
Last 2 bars molto rall – “ing” very short.
No.4
Page 81. Bar 3. Do you give the triplet beats separately or do they sing 3 to your 2?
Not with a good choir (by the way slight animando at tenor lead “covered”)
Page 85. Is this in 2 or 4? (for orchestral basses)
4 in the bar
Page 87. We are doing the semi-chorus full. Do you still want it “distant” like a semi-chorus?
Full & not distant. I’ve scrapped all that years ago!
Page 89, line 2, bar 1.
What is the metronome indication here. Is this section in 4 or 2?
4 in the bar q = about 100 (slight Animato p.90 b.4 (“perhaps”))
Page 91, 3rd bar after “H”.
In 1. And the animato in 2. Is his correct?
2/4 bar in 2. Animato in 2/2 but of course a slower 2. (p.93 4th bar “Songs” 4 in the bar)2
Page 101. Are we doing the printed cut. I have not rehearsed it yet as Sea Symphony is half a programme. Perhaps you have arranged this with Sir John. I can easily rehearse it if you wish. I would rather do it but you p.say.
I wd rather do it all, but you & Barbirolli must settle this.
Page 106 last two bars.
I take it the allegro is Crotchet = 160. It also is printed in the vocal part Crotchet = 106. (Below the bass line0. I hope this is a misprint!
q =140
Page 111, line 2, bar 2.
Does the “affrett” go straight through that bar or do you want the word “sail” at allargando tempo?
Affrett goes on but has reached its limit by that bar.
Page 112. In 2?
Yes
Page 113. I am omitting the vocal parts and starting last bar p.114. is this still in 2
Yes
Page 123, line 2, bars 1 and 4.
In 6?
Yes
N.B. No 3 Scherzo.
May the ad lib voice parts p.72 letter T all be sung please?
1. Bardgett was preparing the choirs for performances of A Sea Symphony with the Hallé Orchestra at Sheffield and Manchester on March ?? and ?? which VW was to conduct. His queries are typewritten and VW’s handwritten replies are given here in italics.
2. “Songs” does not in fact come until the 6th bar.
