Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)

Biography

Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song. He was born in Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, where his father, the Rev. Arthur Vaughan Williams, was vicar. Following his father’s death in 1875 he was taken by his mother, Margaret Susan Wedgwood (1843-1937), the great-granddaughter of the potter Josiah Wedgwood, to live with her family at Leith Hill Place, the Wedgwood family home in the North Downs. He was also related to the Darwins, Charles Darwin being a great-uncle.

As a student he had studied piano and the violin. After attending Charterhouse School he studied at the Royal College of Music under Charles Villiers Stanford where he met and made friends with Gustav Theodore Holst. He read history and music at Trinity College, Cambridge where his friends and contemporaries included the philosophers G. E. Moore and Bertrand Russell. He then returned to the RCM and studied composition with Hubert Parry, who also became a close friend.

Vaughan Williams’s composing developed slowly and it was not until he was 30 that the song “Linden Lea” became his first publication. He mixed composition with conducting, lecturing and editing other music, notably that of Henry Purcell and the English Hymnal. He had further lessons with Max Bruch in Berlin in 1897 and later a big step forward in his orchestral style occurred when he studied in Paris with Maurice Ravel.

He died in 1958 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

He Who Would Valiant Be (Monks Gate, Orchestra, 3 Verses)

He Who Would Valiant Be : Recording Tune: Monks Gate, a traditional English melody by an unknown composer, collected by

Father Hear The Prayer We Offerfather Hear The Prayer We Offer

13th January 2018 Hymn / 2028 / 87 87 / Classic Hymns for Lent and Passiontide / General / Love Maria Whitcomb WIllis (1824-1908) / Psalm 23 / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / Stainer and Bell Ltd / Sussex / Traditional English / Year A Advent 4 / Year A Easter 4 / Year A Lent 1 / Year A Lent 3 / Year A Lent 4 / Year A Lent 5 - Passion Sunday / Year A Proper 10, Ordinary 15, Trinity 5 / Year A Proper 17, Ordinary 22, Trinity 12, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost / Year A Proper 20, Ordinary 25, Trinity 16 / Year A Proper 21, Ordinary 26, Trinity 16 / Year A Proper 23, Ordinary 28, Trinity 18 / Year A Proper 25, Ordinary 30, Trinity 20 / Year B Easter 4 / Year B Proper 11, Ordinary 16, Trinity 7 / Year B Proper 21, Ordinary 26, Trinity 17 / Year B Proper 9, Ordinary 14, Trinity 5 / Year C Easter 4 / Year C Proper 17, Ordinary 22, Trinity 11 / Year C Proper 22, Ordinary 27, Trinity 16 / Year C Proper 24, Ordinary 29, Trinity 18 / Year C Proper 25, Ordinary 30, Trinity 19

Father Hear The Prayer We Offer (Sussex, Organ, 4 Verses) Free Download

Father Hear The Prayer We Offer : Recording Tune: Sussex, a traditional English melody by an unknown composer adapted Ralph

19th November 2017 Carols / Anonymous / Christmas Joy - Beloved Carols For Church and Singers / DCM / Descant / Forest Green / Hymn / Phillips Brooks (1835 – 1893) / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / stephen / Video / Year B Advent 3 / Year B Epiphany 4 / Year B Holy Name Of Jesus Or Naming And Circumcision Of Jesus / Year C Advent 4 / Year C Epiphany 4 - Presentation of Christ in the Temple

O Little Town Of Bethlehem (Forest Green, Organ & Trumpet Descant, 4 Verses)

From the album Christmas Joy – Beloved Carols for Church and Singers, also available on CD. O Little Town Of Bethlehem :

17th November 2017 Carols / 88 87 / Anonymous / Christmas Eve / Christmas Joy - Beloved Carols For Church and Singers / Epiphany / Hymn / John Mason Neale (1818-1866) / Mothering Sunday / Mothers' Day / Percy Dearmer (1867-1936) / Quem Pastores / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / Richard M S Irwin (b. 1955) / stephen / Year A Christmas 1 / Year A Holy Name Of Jesus Or Naming And Circumcision Of Jesus / Year B Advent 4 / Year B Christmas 1 / Year B Holy Name Of Jesus Or Naming And Circumcision Of Jesus / Year B Proper 22, Ordinary 27, Trinity 18 / Year C Advent 4 / Year C Christmas 1 / Year C Easter 4 / Year C Hymns / Year C Proper 8, Ordinary 13, Trinity 2

Jesus Good Above All Other (Quem Pastores, 5 Verses) Free Download

Jesus Good Above All Other is from the album Christmas Joy – Beloved Carols for Church and Singers, also available

18th October 2017 88 88 88 / Anonymous / Carols / Hymn / Phillips Brooks (1835 – 1893) / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / stephen / Sussex Carol / TBR / Traditional English

On Christmas Night All Christians Sing (Sussex Carol, Organ, 4 Verses)

On Christmas Night All Christians Sing : Lyrics On Christmas night all Christians sing To hear the news the angels

10th October 2017 Hymn / 88 44 88 and Alleluias / All Souls' Day / Carols / Feast Of The Blessed Virgin Mary / Geistliche Kirchengesang / John Athelstan Laurie Riley (1858 - 1945) / Lasst Uns Erfreuen / Michaelmas Day / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / stephen / TBR / Video / Year A Advent 3 / Year A Christmas 1 / Year A Proper 19, Ordinary 24, Trinity 14 / Year A Proper 23, Ordinary 28, Trinity 18 / Year A Trinity Sunday / Year B Epiphany 5, 2nd Sunday Before Lent / Year B Proper 9, Ordinary 14, Trinity 5 / Year B Trinity Sunday / Year C Advent 4 / Year C All Saints' Day / Year C Epiphany 5 / Year C Epiphany 7 / Year C Proper 11, Ordinary 16, Trinity 5 / Year C Proper 15, Ordinary 20, Trinity 9 / Year C Proper 16, Ordinary 21, Trinity 10 / Year C Proper 26, 4th Sunday Before Advent / Year C Trinity Sunday

Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones (Lasst Uns Erfreuen, Organ, 4 Verses)

Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones Recording Tune: Lasst Uns Erfreuen, composer unknown from the Hymnal “Geistliche Kirchengesang, Cologne (1623)”,

20th April 2017 Hymn / 10 10 10 4 / Feast of St Barnabas / Feast Of The Blessed Virgin Mary / Holy Week Tuesday / Holy Week Wednesday / Oxford University Press / Palm Sunday Litany Of The Passion / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / Sine Nomine / William Walsham How (1823-1897) / Year A Second Sunday Before Advent / Year B Epiphany Transfiguration Sunday, Next Before Lent / Year B Palm Sunday - Liturgy of The Palms and Liturgy of The Passion / Year B Proper 28, Ordinary 33, Second Sunday Before Advent / Year C All Saints' Day / Year C Proper 16, Ordinary 21, Trinity 10

For All The Saints (Sine Nomine, Organ & Trumpet Descant, 6 Verses)

20th April 2017 Hymn / 87 87 / Ascension Day / John Henry Newman (1801-1890) / Oxford University Press / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / Shipston / Traditional English / Year A Advent 1 / Year A Advent 2 / Year A Easter 4 / Year A Epiphany 1 (Baptism of The Lord) / Year A Epiphany 2 / Year A Feast of Christ The King / Year A Lent 3 / Year A Proper 12 Ordinary 17 Trinity 7 / Year A Proper 19, Ordinary 24, Trinity 14 / Year A Proper 21, Ordinary 26, Trinity 16 / Year A Proper 24, Ordinary Time 29, Trinity 19 / Year A Trinity Sunday / Year B Epiphany 4 / Year B Proper 25, Ordinary 30, Trinity 21, Last After Trinity / Year B Trinity Sunday / Year C All Saints' Day / Year C Easter 7 - Seventh Sunday of Easter / Year C Proper 22, Ordinary 27, Trinity 16 / Year C Proper 8, Ordinary 13, Trinity 2 / Year C Proper 9, Ordinary 14, Trinity 3 / Year C Trinity Sunday

Firmly I Believe And Truly (Shipston, Organ, 5 Verses)

Firmly I Believe And Truly : Recording Tune: Shipston, a traditional English ballad from Warwickshire, harmonized by Ralph Vaughan Williams

20th April 2017 88 87 / Anonymous / Communion/Eucharist / Fred Kaan (1929-2009) / Hymn / Oxford University Press / Quem Pastores / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / Stainer and Bell Ltd / Traditional German

Father, Who In Jesus Found Us (Quem pastores) – Organ

Lyrics We regret that we are unable to publish the lyrics to this hymn at the moment, as they are

12th April 2017 Hymn / 66 11 D / Baptism/Christening / Bianco da Siena (c. 1350-1399) / Candlemas - Presentation of Christ in the Temple / Down Ampney / Easter Vigil / Oxford University Press / Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) / Richard Frederick Littledale (1833-1890) / Wedding / Wedding Songs / Year A Bible Sunday / Year A Christmas 1 / Year A Easter 2 / Year A Easter 6 / Year A Easter 7 / Year A Epiphany 7 / Year A Lent 3 / Year A Lent 5 - Passion Sunday / Year A Pentecost, Whit Sunday / Year A Proper 10, Ordinary 15, Trinity 5 / Year A Proper 25, Ordinary 30, Trinity 20 / Year A Proper 6, Ordinary 11, Trinity 2 / Year B Advent 3 / Year B Easter 2 / Year B Easter 5 / Year B Easter 6 / Year B Epiphany 2 / Year B Epiphany 3 / Year B Pentecost, Whit Sunday / Year B Proper 12, Ordinary 17, Trinity 8 / Year B Proper 13, Ordinary 18, Trinity 9 / Year B Proper 19, Ordinary 24, Trinity 15 / Year B Proper 22, Ordinary 27, Trinity 18 / Year B Proper 24, Ordinary 29, Trinity 20 / Year B Proper 25, Ordinary 30, Trinity 21, Last After Trinity / Year C Advent 2 / Year C Bible Sunday / Year C Christmas 1 / Year C Easter 5 / Year C Easter 6 - Sixth Sunday of Easter / Year C Lent 3 / Year C Pentecost, Whit Sunday / Year C Proper 11, Ordinary 16, Trinity 5 / Year C Proper 19, Ordinary 24, Trinity 23 / Year C Proper 25, Ordinary 30, Trinity 19

Come Down O Love Divine (Down Ampney, Organ, 4 Verses)

Other settings of Love Divine All Loves Excelling Come Down O Love Divine : Recording Tune: Down Ampney, composed by