Thursday 29 September 2022

british classical music and vaughan williams at 150

Britain has produced a lot of music:

Jay Doubleyou: music from the uk

Including a lot of classical music:

Jay Doubleyou: british music

Much of which is played at the biggest classical music festival in the UK:

Jay Doubleyou: bbc proms 2014

And a lot of 'classical music' is also played at Christmas:

Jay Doubleyou: favourite christmas carols

Here's more on British twentieth century classical composers:

Holst.and. Vaughan. Williams. Making. Music. English : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

BBC Two - Holst and Vaughan Williams: Making Music English

The BBC have been focussing on one particular composer this year:

BBC Radio 3 Celebrates Ralph Vaughan Williams At 150 With Vaughan Williams Today - Media Centre

This year “The Lark Ascending” by Ralph Vaughan Williams was voted Classic FM listeners’ favourite piece of classical music (as it was last year, and the one before that, and the one before that). They’re not alone in their admiration. A major theme of the BBC Proms this year is the 150th anniversary of the English composer’s birth.

Vaughan Williams' vision of Englishness is not the one we need - New Statesman

But did VW represent a certain view of England?

A Composer Forever English, Cow Pats and All - The New York Times

VW: much more than a cowpat composer - The Classical Music Guide Forums

English Pastoral School - Wikipedia

Vaughan Williams was indeed inspired by English folk music:

BBC Radio 4 - The Captain's Apprentice by Caroline Davison, Norfolk Rhapsody

This is a beautiful example:

Vaughan Williams - On Wenlock Edge (1909), sung by Anthony Rolfe Johnson - YouTube

On Wenlock Edge (song cycle) - Wikipedia

For example:

Vaughan Williams - 'Bredon Hill' from On Wedlock Edge - YouTube

On Wenlock Edge (The Film) - Part 5 - Bredon Hill - (Vaughan Williams) - YouTube

Bredon Hill - Wikipedia

'There's far more to VW than wistful evocations of the English landscape':

The Passions of Vaughan Williams - YouTube

John Bridcut - Crux Productions - Filmography

Finally, an overview on his 150th anniversary:

Front Row - Ralph Vaughan Williams - BBC Sounds

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