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

🗞️ Exciting news! ✉️ The search facility for our extensive database of correspondence relating to the life of Ralph Vaughan Williams has been improved… AND… New letters have been added! 🧭 Explore here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Tomorrow! 👏 Join the North Herts Guild of Singers, the Beaufoy Sinfonia and two outstanding young soloists for a musical and nautical journey of epic proportions. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘A Sea Symphony’ conducted by Harry Bradford and accompanied by the Beaufoy Sinfonia.

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Jeremy Benson

To the Queen Elizabeth Hall where @lintonstephens.bsky.social presented a concert by Chineke! I was particularly gripped by the 2nd half, a magically intense Vaughan Williams Tallis Fantasia, with its organ-like ghost orchestra in the distance, & a thrillingly beautiful Mozart Sinfonia Concertante.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

📣 Don't delay! 🗓️ Applications for 2026/27 VWF scholarships close at the end of the month! PhD and MA Scholarships of up to £8K are open to applicants showing exceptional compositional talent and intending to make composition their professional career.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Let's start the week with some beautiful music – baritone Roderick Williams and pianist Susie Allan in the studio recording Roderick Williams' own “The Shepherd” for their 2024 release, Vaughan Williams: A Birthday Garland 🎶 📺 Watch here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Tomorrow! 👏 Join the North Herts Guild of Singers, the Beaufoy Sinfonia and two outstanding young soloists for a musical and nautical journey of epic proportions. Ralph Vaughan Williams’ ‘A Sea Symphony’ conducted by Harry Bradford and accompanied by the Beaufoy Sinfonia.

see bluesky post

Vaughan Williams Foundation

An interesting line-up at the beautiful Brighton Dome as part of the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra 2025/26 season, including Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis. 2.45pm, March 29. Info and 🎫 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

🗓️ Applications for our 2026/27 scholarships close at the end of the month VWF PhD and MA Scholarships of up to £8K are open to applicants showing exceptional compositional talent and intending to make composition their professional career.

see bluesky post

Vaughan Williams Foundation

This useful resource from Faber Music offers links to a catalogue of Vaughan Williams' works and listings of upcoming performances. 💻 Find it here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Composers are at the heart of our support! 🎼 We support the performance, commissioning or recording of music by professional British/Irish composers active in the last 100 years; and/or projects creating developmental opportunities for composers or promoting awareness of recent British/Irish music.

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