“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.”
from English Folk Song Suite, Mvt I
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1583210
for: Unison Voices and Organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 866663
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 892746
Geistliche Musik
for: Alto Voice and Mixed Choir [SATB]
Choir score
Item no.: 344283
for: Voice (high)
Buch
Item no.: 987629
Goodmusic Concert Classics
for: String orchestra
Score
Item no.: 951689
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 1212276
from English Folk Song Suite, Mvt 2
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1583209
Klassik
for: Voice
Choir score
Item no.: 835263
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 904563
Geistliche Musik
for: Blechbläserquartett
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1204915
for: Cello, piano
Single part Cello
Item no.: 176104
from "The Wasps"
for: Blockflöten (SAT), Schlagwerk und Klavier; Glockenspiel und Xylophon ad libitum
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 354831
Hardback
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 889080
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 471595
Daehn Publications
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060886
for: Brass band
Set of parts
Item no.: 1145634
for: Voice
Buch
Item no.: 1085698
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1067723
Geistliche Musik
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 327109
for: Viola, piano
Single part Viola
Item no.: 425931
for: Violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano
Score, Parts
Item no.: 344075
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 888750
from "The Wasps"
for: Blockflöten (SAT), Schlagwerk und Klavier; Glockenspiel und Xylophon ad libitum
Single part Percussion
Item no.: 354837
Concert Classics Series
Single part Viola
Item no.: 949850
for: Soloist (baritone), mixed choir (SATB), organ [piano]; cello ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 246395
Eb
for: Voice, piano
Piano/Vocal
Item no.: 1561502
SATB unaccompanied or solo unison and piano
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Score
Item no.: 929427
for: Soloist (baritone), male choir (TTBB), orchestra
Choir score
Item no.: 295926
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 372211
SATB unaccompanied or solo/unison and piano
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 930142
on Christmas Carols
for: Solo voice (baritone), mixed choir (SATB), concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 680770
for: Choral
Item no.: 1377749
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 862001
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 474288
Choral
for: Mixed choir (SABar) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 899430
for: Choir
Piano reduction
Item no.: 429502
for: String orchestra
Score
Item no.: 861997
Belwin Intermediate String/ Full Orchestra
for: Symphonic orchestra [string orchestra]
Score, Parts
Item no.: 483500
for: Brass band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1056868
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1382710
for: Choral
Item no.: 1377748
SoundTrax CD
for: Choir
CD
Item no.: 927890
Choral
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 901098
for: Choir (3 voices), piano
Score
Item no.: 1031932
for soprano soloist, SSA chorus, and piano A short movement from Vaughan Williams's Christmas cantata, 'Hodie'.
for: Soloist (soprano), women's choir (SSA), piano
Score
Item no.: 474289
Hymnen und Choräle
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 628200
for: Soloist (baritone), mixed choir (SATB), organ [piano]; cello ad lib.
Single part (Cello solo)
Item no.: 612107
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