Vaughan Williams Today 2/4

All this month, Donald Macleod takes a fresh look at this much
loved composer as part of Radio 3's 'Vaughan Williams Today'
season, celebrating the 150th anniversary of his birth. He’ll
unpack Vaughan Williams' life story in fascinating detail over
the course of four weeks and leading authorities on the composer
will join him to share their new perspectives. They'll be
exploring some of the overlooked aspects of his life and music,
as well as the qualities that have left such an enduring imprint
on British cultural life. This week Donald chronicles Vaughan
Williams’ life through the years 1914 to 1930.


When War was declared, although he was 42 Vaughan Williams
immediately joined up. He was accepted as an ambulance orderly
with the rank of private. Throughout the War, wherever he was
posted throughout Europe, he made music with anyone and everyone.
He spent much of his spare time starting up a singing class,
training a choir, getting together whoever was available,
whenever they had a break in their duties. Even though he didn’t
“compose” during the war years, his own music did stir. He said
of his 3rd Symphony, “a great deal of it incubated when I used to
go up night after night with the ambulance wagon at Ecoivres and
we went up a steep hill and there was a wonderful Corot-like
landscape in the sunset – it’s not really lambkins frisking at
all, as most people take for granted.”


Music Featured:


A Cotswold Romance (The Men of Cotsall) Lord Thou Hast Been Our
Refuge Symphony No 3 "Pastoral Symphony" - IV. Lento Motion and
Stillness (4 Poems by Fredegond Shove) 'Four Nights' and 'The New
Ghost' (4 Poems by Fredegond Shove) The Lark Ascending O Clap
Your Hands Concerto Accademico Piano Suite in G Major (excerpt)
Mass in G minor In Windsor Forest (Falstaff And The Fairies) The
Pilgrim's Progress - Act IV Scene 2 “The Shepherds of the
Delectable Mountains’ (excerpt) The Pilgrim's Progress - Act III
Scene 1 “I buy the truth!” (excerpt) Riders to the Sea (Where is
she?) Riders to the Sea (They are all gone now) Job – A Masque
for Dancing (excerpt) Valliant for Truth Old King Cole Sancta
Civitas Merciless Beauty, Three Rondels by Geoffrey Chaucer Flos
Campi O vos omnes Job – A Masque for Dancing 3 Poems by Walt
Whitman (Nocturne) 3 Choral Hymns Sir John in Love (excerpt)


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Rosie Boulton


For full track listings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0016rjd


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z