“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: Handbells [2]
Single edition
Item no.: 1320352
Klassik
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 983015
Klassik
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Score
Item no.: 884123
Folk
for: Men's Choir [TTBB] and Piano
Choir score
Item no.: 560033
Geistliche Musik
for: Alto Voice and Mixed Choir [SATB]
Choir score
Item no.: 344283
for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1031933
Geistliche Musik
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Score
Item no.: 982917
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 1212222
SATB unaccompanied or solo unison and piano
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Score
Item no.: 929427
Alister McAlpine's Lament
Daehn Publications
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060381
Prüfungsliteratur
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 377282
Prüfungsliteratur
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 479290
for: Bassoon, piano
Single part Bassoon
Item no.: 346913
Prüfungsliteratur
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 962329
for: Handbells [3]
Single edition
Item no.: 1099280
for: Mixed Choir Unaccompanied
Choir score
Item no.: 1634811
for: Mixed choir (SATB), violin
Score
Item no.: 866990
for: Unison Voices and Organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 866663
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 886531
for: Violin [cello], piano
Single part Violin
Item no.: 615893
for: Tuba, piano
Single part Tuba
Item no.: 478469
Choral Programme Series
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Item no.: 474499
for: Alto saxophone, piano
Single part Alto saxophone
Item no.: 338972
for: Male choir (TTBB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 372211
Handbells
for: Choir
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 856409
for: Handbells [3-5]
Single edition
Item no.: 1117043
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 910520
for: Handbells [3]
Single edition
Item no.: 1115355
for: Handbells [3-5]
Single edition
Item no.: 1115331
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1063968
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060598
The New Commonwealth
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060035
Prüfungsliteratur
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 867605
for: Descant recorder
Music score
Item no.: 898502
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score
Item no.: 123434
for: Cello, piano
Single part Cello
Item no.: 1645578
A dorset Song
for: Voice (medium), piano
Music score
Item no.: 346906
for: Cello, piano
Single part Cello
Item no.: 176104
A Dorset Song
for: Voice, piano
Item no.: 187527
for: Voice
Buch
Item no.: 1085698
for: Clarinet, piano
Single part Clarinet (B-flat)
Item no.: 374792
for: Viola, piano
Single part Viola
Item no.: 425931
for: Soloist (baritone), male choir (TTBB), orchestra
Choir score
Item no.: 295926
for: Cor anglais, piano
Single part Cor anglais
Item no.: 225133
for: Voice (high)
Buch
Item no.: 987629
for: Soloist (baritone), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Choir score
Item no.: 602311
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949444
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 949597