Page 44 - October.indd

Lesser-Known or Infrequently-Performed Choral Works of

establishing its successful cachet. Compiled from Frank between Schütz’ spontaneous vocal structures and
Howes, The Later Works of R. Vaughan Williams (Oxford: the symphonic choral works of later centuries (most
Oxford University Press, 1937); Michael Kennedy, A notably those of Brahms such as the Requiem and
Catalogue of the Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams, rev. ed. Gesang der Parzen), Parry felt the desire to assimilate the
(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1982), 125; Michael devotional solemnity of this style of vocal music into
Kennedy, The Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams (Oxford: his own choral meditations.” Jeremy Dibble, C. Hubert
Oxford University Press, 1964), 225-226; Charles H. Parry: His Life and Music (Oxford: Oxford University
Edward McGuire, “‘An Englishman and a democrat’: Press, 1992), 397.
Vaughan Williams, large choral works, and the British 10 H. L. Hubbard, Benedicite: A Devotional Commentary on the Song
festival tradition,” in The Cambridge Companion to Vaughan of the Three Children (London: A. R. Mowbray & Co.
Williams, eds. Alain Frogley and Aidan J. Thomson Ltd., 1924), 3 and 11.
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013), 121; 11 The reader is referred to the published scores, vocal
Percy M. Young, Vaughan Williams (London: Dennis (Oxford University Press, 1929) and full (Oxford
Dobson, 1953), 67; and Percy M. Young, A History of University Press, 1970).
British Music (London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1967), 12 Michael Kennedy, A Catalogue of the Works of Ralph Vaughan
549-550. Williams, rev. ed. (London: Oxford University Press,
8 The series of “ethical cantatas” occupied Parry from 1982), 202: “THE SONS OF LIGHT. A Cantata
1902 until 1908, the set of six being War and Peace for mixed chorus (SATB) and orchestra. Composed
(Symphonic Ode [3 April 1903, Royal Choral Society, in 1950. Poem by Ursula Wood (Ursula Vaughan
Albert Hall]), Voces Clamantium (Motet [10 September Williams). ‘In the musical setting of this poem the
1903, Hereford Festival]), The Love That Casteth Out composer has, with the leave of the author, made a
Fear (Sinfonia Sacra [7 September 1904, Gloucester few verbal alterations.’ I. Darkness and Light. Allegro
Festival]), The Soul’s Ransom (Sinfonia Sacra [12 maestoso—allegro alla Marcia—tranquillo—allegro moderato.
September 1906, Hereford Festival]), The Vision of Life II. The Song of the Zodiac. Allegretto pesante. III. The
(A Symphonic Poem [26 September 1907, Cardiff Messengers of Speech. Maestoso—maestoso alla marcia…”
Festival]), and Beyond These Voices There Is Peace (Motet [9 13 Ursula Vaughan Williams, R.V.W.: A Biography of Ralph
September 1908, Worcester Festival]). All six are scored Vaughan Williams (London: Oxford University Press,
for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra, with the 1964), 308-309.
exception of The Love That Casteth Out Fear, where Parry 14 Please consult the vocal score: Ralph Vaughan Williams,
substitutes a contralto for the soprano. In duration, all The Sons of Light, A Cantata for Chorus and Orchestra,
but one last between 45 and 75 minutes approximately; rev. ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1957), ii-v.
Voces Clamantium is under 30 minutes. Parry penned 15 Kennedy, Catalogue, p. 105. See, as well, chapter seven in
the free-verse text for War and Peace and for The Vision of Michael Kennedy, The Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams
Life; for the others, he grouped texts from the Bible with (Oxford, 1964), and chapter nine in Ursula Vaughan
some original lines of his own to devise the narratives. Williams, R.V.W.: A Biography of Ralph Vaughan Williams
9 At the end of the nineteenth century, Parry attempted to (Oxford, 1964). Flos campi is properly indexed in the
create a new choral-orchestral form from seventeeth- “instrumental soloist with orchestra” category, as is
century models, which resulted in the aforementioned. Fantasia (subsequently discussed).
Indeed, two of these—The Love that Casteth out Fear 16 Howes, The Later Works of R. Vaughan Williams, pp. 8 and 10.
(1904) and The Soul’s Ransom (1906)—are both styled 17 Howes, p. 7. Howes continues: “He has therefore scored
“Sinfonia Sacra.” As Jeremy Dibble writes: “This it for an orchestra in which every instrument retains its

description clearly relates to the vocal and instrumental individual flavor to the utmost. One each of the wind
forms—the Symphoniae Sacrae—of…Baroque composers makes an ensemble in which the individual fl avors
such as Giovanni Gabrieli, and more signifi cantly his are never submerged in the ordinary orchestral tutti.
German pupil, Heinrich Schütz. Aware of the links There is a representative battery of the more exotic

42 CHORAL JOURNAL October 2022 Volume 63 Number 3