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

The Vaughan Williams Foundation online database of correspondence relating to the composer's life and works includes transcripts of more than 5,000 fully indexed and searchable items. Explore it here: vaughanwilliamsfoundation.org/discover/let…

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Gaia x BBC Concert Orchestra: Sounds of the Earth 🌍 A special concert at the Southbank's Royal Festival Hall, staged under Luke Jerram’s Gia – a replica of Earth – will open with Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Details here: www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/gai…

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Composers are at the heart of our support! The VFW funds: 🎼 The performance, commissioning, or recording of music by professional British or Irish composers 🎼 Projects creating developmental opportunities for composers, or promoting awareness of British or Irish music

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

While editing The English Hymnal in 1906, Vaughan Williams rediscovered a 1567 psalm tune by Tudor composer Thomas Tallis. Instead of simply arranging it, he transformed the theme into a timeless meditation for double string orchestra and string quartet, premiered in 1910…

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

The Staples Ensemble bring the music of Vaughan Williams to Guernsey on Tuesday, August 18. The Lark Ascending is performed here in an intimate arrangement, placing the soaring, bird-like violin solo against a lush texture of six string parts. 7.30pm, Town Church, St Peter Port.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

For more than 40 years, Vaughan Williams funding has been awarded to support postgraduate study in composition. Each student receives a scholarship of £8,000 towards their studies in 2026-7. Learn about the 2026 scholars here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

The Vaughan Williams Foundation invites funding applications from ensembles, organisations and individuals. We offer grants in 2 key areas: 🎶 Support for the music of composers of the last 100 years 🎶 The work of Ralph and Ursula Vaughan Williams.

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ birth in 2022, Hyeyoon Park and Benjamin Grosvenor released a new version of the original arrangement of The Lark Ascending for solo violin and piano. See and hear them perform it here 👇

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

We have soooo many questions… 🐾 Have a lovely weekend. And don't leave your tuba on the floor… 🤣

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Vaughan Williams Foundation

Dame Evelyn Glennie, the BBC Singers, and the Fantasia Orchestra will perform an arrangement of Vaughan Williams's Serenade to Music alongside works by Radiohead and John Coltrane at a Late Night Prom at 10.15pm on Tuesday, August 11. Details here 👇

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