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Book Reviews
Book Reviews

Gregory Pysh, editor
gpysh@fpcmid.org

The Choral-Orchestral Works contextualize his composing. Even concomitant, longitudinally, per-
of Ralph Vaughan Williams: though the book is not a biography, ambulating, peroration, quiescent,
Autographs, Context, Discourse readers get to know Vaughan Wil- physiognomy, and cacographic all
Stephen Town liams through the lens of his works, occur in the description of just the
Lexington Books, 2019 which are discussed chronologically. fi rst composition); this is not a weak-
309 pp. Particularly helpful are Town’s de- ness of the book per se, but it does
Hardcover and Kindle $115 scriptions of the composer’s early thereby posture itself less toward the
tuition and developing interest in casual reader.
Stephen Town’s The Choral-Or- modality, his reaction to Beethoven’s The author, while analytically
chestral Works of Ralph Vaughan Wil- Ninth Symphony as seen in A Sea descriptive, avoids commenting on
liams is an extraordinary volume Symphony, and his unconventional aesthetics, and rarely pronounces
with in-depth discussion of fourteen approaches to his Magnifi cat and Five how the composer’s techniques just
works, including large compositions Tudor Portraits. While the book may analyzed might emotionally aff ect
like A Sea Symphony, Sancta Civitas, be read as a whole, conductors who the listener. In some ways, this is a
Dona nobis pacem, and Hodie, as well wish to read a single chapter pertain- breath of fresh air. At a time when
as lesser-known ones like Vexilla Re- ing to a work of interest may easily commentary often masquerades as
gis, The Sons of Light, and The Bridal do so. analysis, his descriptions give read-
Day. Town explores each work’s his- The volume’s heart is Town’s in- ers a lean exposé of the works and
torical background, analyzes them cisive theoretical analyses. They are the opportunity to listen with acti-
thoroughly, and details how their au- excellent, thought-provoking, and vated minds and untainted ears. Yet,
tographs give insight into the com- valuable to anyone interested in a readers might end up with only an
poser’s compositional and revision deep discussion of these works. He intellectual appreciation for the piec-
processes. is familiar with other scholars’ anal- es’ integrity without exercising their
Town’s approach to the historical yses, referencing Howes, Dickinson, imagination. To say this diff erently:
sections is refreshing, as he avoids Smith, Mellers, and others to give consider the Golden Gate Bridge.
perfunctory biographical details, readers multiple perspectives. His An author can defi ne the pigment
and instead starts each chapter as if discourse is never dry or plodding, of its paint, and a reader can read
readers were already familiar with and his vocabulary is rich. Readers about, understand, and appreciate
the composer, drawing them imme- may find themselves reaching for this. But an author gives readers a

diately into the circumstances that a dictionary regularly (the words fuller perspective when describing

CHORAL JOURNAL October 2022 Volume 63 Number 3 61