Composer

:

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Genre

:

Choral

Style

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

1913

Average_duration

:

14:14

Movement_count

:

5

Movement ....

Ralph Vaughan Williams composed his 'English Folksongs (5) for chorus' in 1913. The piece premiered on October 15, 1913, at the Queen's Hall in London, conducted by the composer himself. The work consists of five movements, each based on a traditional English folk song. The first movement, "The Dark-Eyed Sailor," is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that tells the story of a sailor who returns home to find his lover has married another man. The choral arrangement captures the melancholic mood of the song, with the voices weaving in and out of each other to create a sense of longing and loss. The second movement, "The Springtime of the Year," is a lively and joyful celebration of the arrival of spring. The choral parts are bright and energetic, with the voices rising and falling in a playful dance. The third movement, "Just as the Tide was Flowing," is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that tells the story of a young woman who falls in love with a sailor. The choral arrangement captures the sense of longing and heartbreak in the song, with the voices rising and falling in a mournful lament. The fourth movement, "The Lover's Ghost," is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that tells the story of a young woman who is haunted by the ghost of her lover. The choral arrangement captures the eerie and haunting mood of the song, with the voices rising and falling in a mournful lament. The final movement, "Wassail Song," is a lively and joyful celebration of the Christmas season. The choral parts are bright and energetic, with the voices rising and falling in a playful dance. Overall, Vaughan Williams' 'English Folksongs (5) for chorus' is a beautiful and evocative work that captures the spirit of traditional English folk music. The choral arrangements are masterful, with the voices weaving in and out of each other to create a rich and complex tapestry of sound. The work remains a beloved classic of the choral repertoire to this day.

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