“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: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Choir score
Item no.: 1094373
for: Mixed choir (SATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 855702
for: Mixed choir (SSATB); piano ad lib.
Choir score
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for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
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for: 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, organ, timpani
Organ score, Parts
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for: 2 string orchestras
Study score
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for: Voice, piano
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for: Brass band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1149323
for: Tuba, piano
Single part Tuba
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for: Bassoon, piano
Single part Bassoon
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for: Clarinet, piano
Single part Clarinet (B-flat)
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for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Score
Item no.: 1031927
for: Wind Band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1149335
for: Wind Band
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1149316
For Brass Instruments
for: Brass ensemble
Single edition
Item no.: 1121447
for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
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for: Voice, piano
Music score
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for: Brass band
Score
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for: Choir (2 voices), piano
Choir score
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for: Unison Voices and Piano or Organ
Choir score
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for: Wind Band
Score, Parts
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for: Wind Band
Score
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for: Wind Band
Score, Parts
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Book (Hardcover)
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for: Mixed choir (SATB), piano
Choir score
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for: Wind Band
Score
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for: Brass band
Score, Parts
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for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Piano reduction
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for: Trumpet, organ
Score, part
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Klassik
for: Mixed Ensemble
Einzelstimme
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for: Concert band
Score
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for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
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for: Wind Band
Score
Item no.: 1149334
for: Brass band
Score
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for: Wind Band
Score
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for: Mixed choir (SAB), piano
Choir score
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for: Mixed choir (SSATB) a cappella
Choir score
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Buch
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for: Concert band
Einzelstimme
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for: Concert band
Score, Parts
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for: Concert band
Score
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for: Concert band
Score
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for: Concert band
Score
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for: Concert band
Score
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for: Choir
Set of parts
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for: Unison Voices and Piano
Choir score
Item no.: 865816
for: Choir
Choir score
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for: Blockflöten (SAT), Schlagwerk und Klavier; Glockenspiel und Xylophon ad libitum
Einzelstimme
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