- Date: 1923
- Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
- Period: Post-Romantic (1870-1909)
Review
As a forty-plus year old man serving in World War I, Vaughan Williams had been exposed to the music of the military brass band, and was not overly impressed with what he heard. So when he was invited by Colonel John Somerville, Commandant of the Royal Military School of Music, to compose a work for the School's band, Vaughan Williams accepted with alacrity. Having just written the ballet Old King Cole for a branch of the English Folk Dance Society, Vaughan Williams naturally returned to his love of traditional English songs. The resulting English Folk Song Suite was premiered at Kneller Hall, Twickenham on July 4, 1923 by the Royal Military School's Band as conducted by Lieutenant H. E. Adkins. The following year Vaughan Williams asked his student at the Royal College of Music, Gordon Jacob, to reorchestrate the work for full orchestra, and Jacob also did an arrangement for conventional brass band.Regardless of the arrangement, the English Folk Song Suite is sprightly and effective. It begins with a grand March that makes use of the song "Seventeen Come Sunday" in the wistful middle section, "Pretty Caroline." The middle movement "Intermezzo: 'My Bonny Boy'," is graceful and melancholy, with a brief shanty-like middle section. The concluding "March: Folk Songs from Somerset," is based on a series of sturdy and catchy tunes, prominent among them "Blow Away the Morning Dew" and "High Germany." ~ Chris Morrison, Rovi
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
Albums with Excerpt Performances of the Work
| English Folk Song Suite, for military band | |
| English Folk-Dances, Suite No 1 |
