RVW150

Celebrating Ralph Vaughan Williams 150 years after his birth.

In 2022-3 RVW150 celebrated Ralph Vaughan Williams with performances, recordings, new works and imaginative projects around the country (and beyond) to help widen our understanding of this many-faceted composer.

Get a taste of the celebrations with the small selection below.

Whoever thought Vaughan Williams a bit of a pastoral retrograde should hear this (Flos Campi)… it’s mad, bizarre and glorious. 

FIONA MADDOCKS, The Observer

Certain music is necessary at a certain time, and Vaughan Williams’s Fifth Symphony struck me as something we need to hear now. It has this incredible strength and serenity: a feeling of ‘this is what the world could be when we emerge from this’.

SIR SIMON RATTLE, conductor

There’s an emotional honesty to his writing. His language is one which can be appreciated on so many levels.

TASMIN LITTLE, violinist

Thank you so much to this wonderful forward thinking musical organisation without which new music activities in the U.K. would be substantially curtailed.  

DARRAGH MORGAN and MARY DULLEA, Fidelio Trio

RVW150 NEWS

RVW resources for Music Teachers

A new programme produced by the Music Teachers’ Association, has been set up to provide resources for teaching about the work of Ralph Vaughan Williams, from Early Years Foundation Stage through to Key Stage 5. Teaching resources are available completely free of charge to all schools and organisations running education projects and can be downloaded from the MTA.

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New window celebrating RVW unveiled

A newly commissioned stained glass window by artist Thomas Denny, celebrating the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams in the place of his birth, was unveiled at All Saints, Down Ampney.

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Today’s composers celebrate RVW

Throughout the 150th anniversary celebrations a special series of new works inspired by RVW’s music, ideas, or life, were performed round the country.

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News from the publishers

From the completion of a major unfinished score, to a composer’s cut of the 1948 film of Scott of the Antarctic, together with new editions, collections and orchestrations of well-loved pieces, RVW’s publishers continue to bring his work to new performers and audiences.

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From pub to pulpit

From Pub to Pulpit created different programmes for each venue, bringing to life the musical journey of folk songs RVW collected, and later ‘borrowed’ for hymns

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His music has an emotional honesty

‘A composer who believed that music should be felt, rather than described’

RVW 150 Ambassador, violinist Tasmin Little, on the enduring popularity of RVW’s music.

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#RVW150

Vaughan Williams Foundation

What better way to spend a little time on a Bank Holiday than having a nose through our extensive collection of correspondence relating to the life and work of composer Ralph Vaughan Williams ✉️

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Happy Easter! 🌸

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Does anyone recognise these few bars added to this Easter letter to remind the recipient of the 'old times'? 🎼

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Conductor John Wilson told Gramophone Magazine in a recent interview that he plans to record a complete symphony cycle of Ralph Vaughan Williams with the Sinfonia of London. 👏 What an excellent idea – we look forward to more news on this!

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

The Choral Arts Society of Washington will bring Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Dona Nobis Pacem, which it describes as a "40-minute plea for peace", to Alexandria’s Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center on April 18.

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Ulster Orchestra

Ulster Orchestra Leader Ioana Petcu-Colan is the soloist for Vaughan Williams' stunning "The Lark Ascending" at our concert this Friday. Hear Ioana talk about why you should listen to this piece live. 🎟️ buff.ly/UF36DHj

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

We support composers and work furthering the knowledge and understanding of the life and work of Ralph and Ursula Vaughan Williams, including recordings, films, performances, publishing, research projects and educational resources. ⏲️ Our next application deadline is coming soon!

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Our next general funding grant application deadline is May 1 – see our website for more details.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Recorded in 1983, Sir Thomas Allen performs 'The Vagabond', the first of nine songs in Ralph Vaughan Williams' song cycle, 'Songs of Travel'. With the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Simon Rattle.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

We were thrilled to see 3 excellent reviews of VMF-supported recordings in this month's Gramophone Magazine: 🎶 Finnissy and the Guitar, Complete Works – Michael Finnissy 🎶 Album Z – Zoë Martlew 🎶 TOMB! – Laurence Osborn Bravo all 👏

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