CHORALLY
86-90 Paul Street
London EC2A 4NE
United Kingdom
RSCM Lecture – From Hedgerow to Pew: Vaughan Williams and the English Hymnal
As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams, join the RSCM to find out more about his pivotal role in the formation of the English Hymnal.
RVW revolutionised hymnody in early-20th century England. Initially against his better judgment, but later with all the fervour of a convert, the agnostic Vaughan Williams set about introducing folk song into the 1906 English Hymnal.
This revolutionary hymnal was the brainchild of Rev. Percy Dearmer, who wanted to rid the Anglican church of turgid 19th-century hymn tunes and felt that Vaughan Williams (then in his very early 30s) was the musician to help him.
After the lengthy project had been concluded, Vaughan Williams admitted that his work on the English Hymnal had been ‘a better musical education than any amount of sonatas and fugues’. Crucially, it was tunes that Vaughan Williams discovered in the preparation of the English Hymnal that inspired the Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (1910), Dives & Lazarus (1939), and passages of the opera The Pilgrim’s Progress (1951).
Note
There are two editions of this event: this in-person edition (£10), and an online option which takes place on Monday from 19.30-20.45BST (£5).
Organizer
Royal School of Church Music
Phone
+44 1722 424848Website
https://www.rscm.org.uk
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