大象传媒

Kate Molleson explores Vaughan Williams鈥檚 time living at 'White Gates' in Surrey, where he moved in the late 1920s.

鈥淚鈥檝e always loved carols鈥� Vaughan Williams wrote to Cecil Sharp in 1911. Despite being called a 鈥渕ost determined atheist鈥� by Bertrand Russell at University, and in later life 鈥渁 cheerful agnostic鈥�, the composer never lost his love for Christmas. It dated back to childhood memories of singing carols from Stainer and Bramley鈥檚 Christmas Carols New and Old at his home at Leith Hill Place, Surrey. As an adult, his lifelong passion for the Christmas period was demonstrated in his music - the Fantasia on Christmas Carols, On Christmas Night based on Dickens鈥檚 A Christmas Carol, the cantata Hodie and the nativity play The First Nowell. His passion for collecting folk tunes in various counties of England 鈥� armed with a trusty pencil and paper, or at times a phonograph - also led to a plethora of carol settings using these folk tunes, as Vaughan Williams himself said 鈥淓very day some old village singer dies, and with him there probably die half-a-dozen beautiful melodies, which are lost to the world forever: if we would preserve what still remains we must set about it at once.鈥� In this special week of programmes, Kate Molleson explores Vaughan Williams鈥檚 experiences of Christmas across his life alongside some of his best loved pieces, and the music he wrote to celebrate the festive period.

Today, Kate explores Vaughan Williams鈥檚 time living at 'White Gates' in Dorking, where he moved in the late 1920s. He would stay there for 25 years and survive the bombing raids of the second World War in the house. The leafy surrounds of Surrey made for quieter Christmases on the whole, and Ralph鈥檚 wife Adeline was growing old and frail, but a new flame was kindled in Vaughan Williams's heart when he met a young poet named Ursula Wood. Kate also explores the origins of a famous carol鈥檚 tune 鈥� the melody of which Vaughan Williams notated as being sung by Mr Garman of Forest Green, Surrey, on a folk song collecting trip in 1903.

Vaughan Williams
Hodie (This Day): The Oxen
Stephen Gadd, baritone
Royal Philharmonic Onrchestra
Hilary Davan Wetton, conductor

Vaughan Williams
On Christmas Night (extract)
Sarah Fox, soprano
Roderick Williams, baritone
The Joyful Company of Singers & City of London Sinfonia
Richard Hickox, conductor

Vaughan Williams
Dona Nobis Pacem 鈥� III. Reconciliation
Christina Pier, soprano
Matthew Brook, baritone
Bach Choir
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
David Hill, conductor

Trad
Ploughboy鈥檚 Dream
Coope, Boyes & Simpson, vocals

Vaughan Williams (arr.)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Choir of King鈥檚 College, Cambridge
Tom Etheridge, organ
Stephen Cleobury, director

Vaughan Williams
Prelude: 49th parallel
Northern Sinfonia
Richard Hickox, conductor

Vaughan Williams
Symphony no. 5 in D Major - III. Romanza
大象传媒 SO
Andrew Davis, conductor

Vaughan Williams (arr.)
God rest you merry, gentlemen
Angus McPhee, baritone
Timothy Murphy, bass
Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital Chelsea
William Vann, director

Produced by Sam Phillips for 大象传媒 Audio Wales and West