“I suppose it never occurs to people that a man might just want to write a piece of music.” Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
Vaughan Williams is famous for his invigorating nautical symphonies, breath-taking songs, dreamy yet visually powerful concertos, as well as his rousing, majestic choral music. Browse our sheet music and scores, take a look at our Vaughan Williams Sheet Music Downloads, and explore the wide world of Vaughan Williams today!
His work is particularly important due to his intense preoccupation with the Renaissance and Baroque periods, as well as the collection and publication of English folk songs, which significantly influenced his work, and played a big role in the revival of English classical music at the turn of the century.
His best known songs are the Songs of Travel based on poems by Robert Louis Stevenson, published in 1907. With A Sea Symphony, Vaughan Williams’ first symphony saw its premier in 1910, which laid the foundations for English symphony in the 20th century.
His most popular works include Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis for two string orchestras (1910) and The Lark Ascending for violin and small orchestra (1914). When asked about “The Lark Ascending” his second wife Ursula said: “He took a literary idea on which he based his musical thoughts... and let the violin become both the song and the flight of the bird, instead of simply illustrating the poem from which the title was taken.”
Vaughan Williams was also a prolific Film Music composer, and his 7th symphony, the Sinfonia Antartica, was inspired by his film score for “Scott of the Antarctic”.
Alongside his musical talents, Vaughan Williams also had a keen sense of humour. The title quote “It never seems to occur to people that a man might just want to write a piece of music” was Williams’ answer to the question of whether his music for the 6th Symphony was meant to be programmatic.
When questioned by a musician in a rehearsal for his Symphony No. 4 in F Minor about a note which seemed relatively dissonant, Vaughan Williams replied: “It looks wrong, and it sounds wrong, but it’s right. I don’t know if I like it, but that’s what I meant.”
Vaughan Williams when discussing Richard Wagner and his operas: “Wagner used to read the libretti of his operas to his friends; I am glad I was not there.”
And of opera and its overtures, Vaughan Williams said: “The audience is requested not to refrain from talking during the overture. Otherwise they will know all the tunes before the opera begins.”
for: Brass band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1143680
for: Concert band
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1038541
for: Tuba
Music score
Item no.: 866763
for: Handbells [3]
Single edition
Item no.: 1115355
The New Commonwealth
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1060540
for: Symphonic orchestra
Study score
Item no.: 1212299
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 888834
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949557
for: Brass band
Score
Item no.: 1145136
for: Handbells [3-5]
Single edition
Item no.: 1115331
for: Descant recorder
Music score
Item no.: 898502
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1060649
set of string parts
for: Symphonic orchestra
Set of parts
Item no.: 1212210
for: Alto saxophone, piano
Single part Alto saxophone
Item no.: 338972
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 894531
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 892658
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 1212288
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060035
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1063845
for: Woodwind Ensemble
Score
Item no.: 1101615
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 891918
for: Brass
Set of parts
Item no.: 1002564
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 888533
for: Voice, piano
Vokalpartitur
Item no.: 875167
Geistliche Musik
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 1091767
Klassik
for: Unison Choir and Piano
Choir score
Item no.: 982663
for: Cello, piano
Single part Cello
Item no.: 1645578
Oversized, spiral-bound score
Daehn Publications
for: Concert band
Score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 1059969
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1016021
Alister McAlpine's Lament
Oversized, spiral-bound score
Daehn Publications
for: Concert band
Score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 1059852
for: Blockflöten (SAT), Schlagwerk und Klavier; Glockenspiel und Xylophon ad libitum
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 354835
for: 4 saxophones (SATBar)
Piano reduction
Item no.: 1009475
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 892113
for: Women's choir (SA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 920852
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 893937
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060040
for: Mixed choir (SAB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 470471
for: Handbells [3]
Single edition
Item no.: 1099280
for: Handbells [2]
Single edition
Item no.: 1320352
from English Folk Song Suite, Mvt I
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1583210
for: Alto Voice and Mixed Choir [SATB]
Choir score
Item no.: 344283
for: Unison Voices and Organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 866663
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060381
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 892746
for: Voice (high)
Buch
Item no.: 987629
Geistliche Musik
for: Blechbläserquartett
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1204915
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 1212276
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