“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.”
Adapted from the opera "Sir John in Love"
Belwin Symphonic Band
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 745096
Klassik
for: Voice
Choir score
Item no.: 835263
Goodmusic Concert Classics
for: String orchestra
Score
Item no.: 951689
King Of Love
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 950662
Concert Classics Series
Single part Viola
Item no.: 949850
MusicWorks Grade 3
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1021036
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 892029
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 1212276
for: Voice, piano
Music score
Item no.: 904563
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score, online playback
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for: Concert band
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1077951
SATB unaccompanied or solo/unison and piano
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 930142
for: Concert band
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1077006
SATB
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 855702
for: Flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon (wind quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 931741
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1094373
for: Concert band
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1077712
for: Concert band
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 1078102
for: Brass band
Set of parts
Item no.: 1145634
for: Voice
Buch
Item no.: 1085698
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 930026
Goodmusic Concert Classics
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 951600
for: SATB, Congr, Organ, opt Handbells, Brass Quartet or Quintet, Timp
Set of parts
Item no.: 919797
Soprano, Baritone and Piano with Violin Obbligato and Optional String Quartet (No. 1 only)
for: 2 voices (sbar), piano
Piano score
Item no.: 929286
for: Mixed choir (SAB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 1121775
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1185347
King Of Love
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 950267
for: Mixed choir (SSATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 1004963
Daehn Publications
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060886
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