Ralph Vaughan Williams: The First Nowell: Men's Choir: Vocal Score

This is the first publication of Ralph Vaughan Williams's early work for orchestra Bucolic Suite which was completed in November 1900 and first performed by the Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra in March 1902. This attractive work is cast in four movements - Allegro Andante Intermezzo Finale - and already shows evidence of the composer's emerging musical style and sure grasp of orchestral techniques. This new edition has been carefully prepared from the original manuscript by Julian Rushton and comes with full textual commentary. This publication will be welcomed by all aficionados of Vaughan Williams's music.

Marking the first publication of an early work for chamber orchestra this study score presents Ralph Vaughan Williams's The Solent composed in 1903. The main theme from this work will be recognisable to many listeners as it later found its way into both the Sea Symphony and the Ninth Symphony albeit in a somewhat altered form. This duplication has intrigued many Vaughan Williams' scholars as has the Philip Marston quotation that prefaces the scores: 'Passion and sorrow in the deep sea's voice A mighty mystery saddening all the wind?'.The score has been edited by James Francis Brown and includes an introduction by theeditor.

This is the original orchestral version of Vaughan Williams´ famous fantasia which first appeared in his opera 'Sir John in Love'. Apart from the main folk-tune 'Greensleeves' the centre section uses another folk-tune entitled 'Lovely Joan'. This version adapted and arranged by Ralph Greaves has been popular in the concert hall and in recordings since it first appeared.Now out of print in the Oxford University Press catalogue this work has been newly engraved and reissued in this Goodmusic edition but otherwise unaltered.

20th century English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams is perhaps best known for his symphonies and large-scale choral works however the essence of his music can also be found in his songs. His 1903 House of Life cyclefeatures 6 songs out of which the most famous one is the second Silent Noon. Composed before the rest of the cycle and first published separately this piece in E-flat major for Voice and Piano can easilystand alone. By using the sonnet of renowned 19th century English painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti Williams celebrates the beauty of the English language and advances toward the true 20th century Englishart song. All of the songs in House of Life are written for sonnets from Rossetti?s sonnet-sequence of the same name and thus the continuity of the cycle is enforced both by the music and the lyrics. At the same time thesimilarity given by the strict rules of the Petrarchan sonnet-form emphasises the differences in mood meaning and music between the six songs. Even though the (male) narrator in Silent Noon is optimistic andhopeful some of the variations in the passages suggest the despairing of love in Song 6 (?Love?s Last Gift?) which gives this piece an interesting lyrical atmosphere.

A Little Piano Book is a delightful collection of six simple pieces for solo piano composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams. These six pieces were first published in three volumes in 1934 under the title Six Teaching Pieces For Pianoforte. They were published together as A Little Piano Book in 1984.

This is the first publication of Vaughan Williams's earliest substantial work for orchestra composed 1897-8 and premiered in April 1901. This attractive work already shows evidence of the composer's emerging musical style and sure grasp of orchestral techniques. Its five movements display much variety and sense of overall architecture with a sombre opening Prelude a fleet-footed Scherzo a graceful Intermezzo and Trio a delicate Romance and a boisterous Finale. This new edition has been carefully prepared from the original manuscript by Julian Rushton and comes with full textual commentary. Orchestral material is available on hire/rental.

Published for the very first time this is a beautiful arrangement of the old German tune Lasst uns das Kindlein Wiegan setting words adapted from an old Scots poem by Ursula Wood (who later married Vaughan Williams). With flowing contrapuntal lines and characteristic harmonies O My Dear Heart will be popular with all upper-voice choirs. Arranged for SSSAAA a cappella but a Piano accompaniment is provided for practice purposes.