Sunday@4: Vaughan Williams and his legacy
Celebrating Vaughan Williams' 150th anniversary with his songs and those of his pupils and contemporaries
In today’s parlance he would be called ‘a national treasure’. Born in Down Ampney in1872 he lived through war, peace and revolution and this is reflected in the wide range of his output, from raging seas to peace on earth and in heaven. He began the revival of interest in Tudor music and often used melodies from that time, such as his Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis, one of Elizabeth the First’s favourites. Together with Cecil Sharp, Vaughan Williams collected folk songs from all over the nations of the British Isles, some of them featuring in his orchestral works and in his famous folk song suite written for brass band. He also contributed widely to the collection of modern hymn tunes of the twentieth century.
His name is linked to the great poets of his day: Rosetti, Stevenson, and others, a practice continued by his pupils and their contemporaries who are featured in the programme. Vaughan Williams was an ambulance driver in the Great War but several of his younger colleagues fought and lost their lives in the trenches. It is a matter of great wonder that such beautiful music and poetry came from Flanders, such as that of Ivor Gurney
Performers
Elizabeth Charlesworth (soprano) and Richard Taylor (piano)
Programme
- Vaughan Williams: Linden Lea
- Silent Noon
- The Water Mill
- Ivor Gurney: Severn Meadows
- Desire in Spring
- In Flanders Field
- Down by the Salley Gardens
- Howells: King David
- Bridge: Love Went A-Riding
