“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.”
Brookfield Choral Series
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 965419
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1067723
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1385215
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1384615
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1385640
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 920444
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060605
Paperback
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 893028
Paperback
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 628436
Hymnen und Choräle
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 628200
Paperback
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 889460
From 'Folk Songs of the Four Seasons'
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 893877
Paperback
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 920303
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 474299
Paperback
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 628435
Paperback
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 889526
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1060649
Paperback
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 894008
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060040
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 894495
Konzertwerk
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 943230
Paperback
for: String orchestra
Einzelstimme
Item no.: 920489
The New Commonwealth
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060782
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 893089
for: Wind Band
Score
Item no.: 463354
A Cantata for Women's Voices with Orchestral or Piano Accompaniment
for: Women's Choir and Orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 474291
for: Wind Band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 891241
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 493816
Music for String Orchestra
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 816028
MusicWorks Grade 3
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
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The New Commonwealth
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1060540
The New Commonwealth
for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060035
for: Choir
Study score
Item no.: 478368
4-5 Octaves of Handbells Level 3
for: Handbell
Choir score
Item no.: 1124015
Flute and piano
for: Flute, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 123603
Hymnen und Choräle
for: Men's Voices
Choir score
Item no.: 321679
Klassik
for: Women's choir (SSA), piano
Choir score
Item no.: 900082
Symph. orch.
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 298464
for: Voice
Buch
Item no.: 430274
Handbells
for: Choir
Einzelstimme
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Performance-Easy Limited Edition
for: Marching band
Score
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Paperback
for: Choir
Choir score
Item no.: 893508
for: Choir
Score, Parts
Item no.: 891554
for: Concert band
Score, Parts
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for: Concert band
Score
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for: Concert band
Score
Item no.: 1060598
for: String orchestra
Score
Item no.: 941092
Brass Accompaniment
for: Brass
Set of parts
Item no.: 1002564
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