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

Explore the Discover section of the Vaughan Williams Foundation website for our curated 'Useful Links' – an invaluable list of research tools and teaching resources to help you explore RVW's life and music in more detail.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

"It’s hard to think of another symphonic cycle that achieves such a variety of styles and emotional impact" – Bachtrack on the nine symphonies of Vaughan Williams. Read more here: bachtrack.com/feature-vaug…

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Vaughan Williams found inspiration for much of his music in his surroundings, travelling to different villages to discover new folk songs. Classic FM's Alexis Ffrench has more here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Since 2023, the Vaughan Williams Foundation has awarded grants worth more than £1.2 million to composer projects in the UK and abroad. Find out more about how awards are made here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

A desert island treat… 🏝️ From 2019: Bob Mortimer chose RVW's Sea Symphony to add to his Desert Island Discs, because he and Vic Reeves used to listen to it just before they went on stage 🎭 📻 About 4'30" in – but it's all a great listen!

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Do you agree? 🎶

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Let's get the week started with a sonic treat! 🎶 John Wilson conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Vaughan Williams Scholarships of up to £8,000 each for postgraduate composition study in 2026 will be awarded this month. Applications for next year open in December. Details here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

In Lessons in Harmony, novelist @jonathancoe.bsky.social reimagines the remarkable friendship between Ralph Vaughan Williams and Maurice Ravel, beginning with RVW's studies in Paris in 1907. An exploration of music, identity and artistic exchange, due to be published in November 2026.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Listen to Vaughan Williams' Norfolk Rhapsody No.1, based on folk songs collected by Vaughan Williams himself, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Bryden Thomson. 📻👇

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