I treasure the years I was privileged to live in England (in the Cotswolds, no less). Even now, 20 years after returning to the US, I still miss the hills, the fields, the stone houses, the village churches, the streams running through the meadows. But the music of RVW allows me to see (and hear, and smell) it all once again. There is no place on this Earth more beautiful than that "green and pleasant land".
I read somewhere that RVW didn't like listening to his own compositions. All I can say is that I can't imagine what life would be like without his wonderful work.
@@b.m.t.h.3961 "makes" not just "made". Nostalgia is the enemy. If I can find a bit of Lincolnshire coast somewhere near The Wash - genuine wilderness even in 2021 (maybe even more so?!) - then RVW and his inspired music is with me. And if there is too much plastic littered there, then we need to try and pick it up. Active not passive, joy not just melancholy. The whole thing about Vaughan Williams's music is that it is modern and ancient all at the same time. We must make sure that it fits to our future as well. It can do.
I am a native born Texan, yet I have always had a deep and lasting admiration and appreciation of all things British, especially the incomparable composers like Vaughan-Williams. There is an ache in my soul that music like this can soothe like nothing else in this world can. Thank you for creating a small refuge that we world wearied travelers can visit and remember that there is still great beauty to be found.
+Stephen Garvin I'm a Texan also, and I too am drawn to this music. I cycled around the British Isles for 6 weeks one summer. Colin's videos take me back there.
+Stephen Garvin I'm a native born Aussie and feel the same way, well put Stephen! In fairness, I'm am about half English way back in my family tree..... :)
+Stephen Garvin And I am native born South African but my parents are from England and Europe. This music feels part of my soul. Exquisitely beautiful.
Beyond words, because it was with the help of the Holt Spirit - agnostic as RVW may have been! Classic Holy Spirit, who blows where He will. Including to me - with all the eccentricity and paradox that that entails! Now I have no words to say how grateful I am for that - such a level of mercy and kindness. And our dear Ralph tapped right into that too. Believe me, there is enough of that healing, love, truth, insight for the whole world ... with some to spare!
Ralph Vaughan Williams. Romance. The video photography is absolutely beautiful. Our English countryside there’s absolutely nothing to beat it. It’s certainly an emotional piece. A Romantic walk through these beautiful Castle buildings and riverside views and grasslands too. Perfection. …. Aghh
This man was so in love with the Earth, its true song is heard in his music. Thank you for allowing us to become acquainted with this less familiar, though no less great composition.
How lovely that you may return to this this audible oasis and reminisce about a loved one and ease the sense of loss. May your memories be bring you solace and The Almighty grant you comfort.
I feel the very presence of God in this music, it is more than just a piece of incredibly beautiful music because it touches the soul and sends the listener to a different level a different place on a spiritual level far away from Earths trials and tribulations . Wonderful Vaughan Williams .
Indeed! Like many of his works, they transport us to a different spiritual dimension. They seem to exude the ecstasy felt when the horrors of WWI came to an end and peace filled the air, even though it was composed 20 years earlier.
@@mrbenn1489 why should we censor our sensibilities at your say so? Is the word God not allowed to be used in TH-cam comments now because you disapprove? Vaughan Williams was himself an atheist who kind of moved up later in life to a "cheerful agnosticism". Yet he was a fundamental force in Anglican church music, including formulating their primary hymnal. There is something more than just names and labels.
I have never commented on TH-cam before, but for you I will make an exception. I want to thank you for introducing me to RVW's beautiful works. He has quickly become my favorite composer. The videos you create truly capture the essence of his pieces. Listening to his music and learning of his life has enriched my life and I am very thankful to you for sharing it through this medium.
In the first place, I would say that we find things when we need them. Or they are found for us. You may say it is the AI of TH-cam that does the finding - as indeed it may in the proximate understanding. The ultimate meaning is a quite different thing! In fact there are 6 parts to the Serenade in A Minor, which the composer came out with at the age of 26, in 1898. However, after 1908 it left the repertoire, and was only then published in 2012. So that somewhat helps explain why it is new to you, and indeed to me...
This music is so perfect and profound, it touches my soul,and I am not English... but I think everyone who likes good music could feel the same passion....
Colin, it's August 21, 2024 .............I jumped in and simply enjoyed the Romance by VW. Thanks again for this video ....................over 3.1K likes .......... Reply
I have to ration myself when it comes to RVW 's music. It always moves me, sometimes to tears, so I dare not listen to it in company. I have enjoyed walking in the British (not English) countryside for 60 years and love it dearly, his music always conjours up images of that gorgeous landscape, it s weather, seasons and moods. There are others of course but I don't think that there is another composer that can so adequately do this. I have traveled and seen some more spectacular landscapes in terms of scale and grandeur but this country shall always be my first love.
There's something so characteristically British about RVW's sound, that one can't put their finger on, but it is there nevertheless. This evokes tranquil meadows and summer- when Britain is in summer there is just something so special about it. It's my fave season. It's so short and sweet and every year I love the first scent of summer in the air, the first bees, the flowers..
For me, it also evokes a sense of youthful innocence. It makes me nostalgic forcthe rural parts of San Diego county (where I grew up), which is far away from England, of course. I suppose his idiom has a kind of universal quality.
Yup I totally agree, you're instantly transported into the peace and tranquility of the English countryside. It's a great antidote for the stress filled rat race of modern day...
saggoh this music is .......a sense of identity that this island is our Home , and we belong to it and to each other , I would qualify English from British . I am English not British , this music is for England .....
This is the earliest Vaughan-Williams work that I have yet to hear & I believe & before he studied orchestration with Ravel. Even at this time (1898) V-W had this gift that Ravel recognized & developed further, I believe.
I cannot put my finger on why, but this composers work strikes a chord within I cannot fathom but it is so beautiful.I am in awe and appreciation right now. Beautiful work from the Orchestra. Thank you for the uploadLong may RVW's work be listened too for decades to come.
I agree. The music of RVW reaches deep into my very spirit like no other and, as you say, it is difficult to explain why. It is very English of course so that could be a very obvious reason though there is more to it than that. Are you from England?
Might I suggest that you are a Romantic - which is quite different from a romantic? The true Romantic hears the subtle undertone of the mystical and feels the resonance without consciously understanding a process which is deeper than cerebral. It's why VW's music drives me mad sometimes. It's as though I sense something beyond the surface of mundane reality, something which is infinitely more beautiful, more captivating, and more precious. But I still can't reach out and touch it. That's the best suggestion I can offer, for what it's worth.
My WWII dad is dying, Colin, and I wanted you to know how much peace and comfort your RVW downloads are giving me as I pray for Dad, Army, 92.5. Yup, I'm crying listening to this piece but they're grateful tears to God. Thank you, Colin. God bless you -- US Coast Goard mom from wayyyyyyyyyy across the pond on the other side.
It's very good to know that you find comfort in these videos at such a difficult time. I guess the real thanks should go to the man who made the music, though. Take care.
Is that an American station Kathy? Perhaps you could write to them with some suggestions. The UK Classic FM station plays a few of RVW's pieces quite often, I think. I hope your father is comfortable, by the way and that the music continues to bring solace.
Every time I think I have discovered the full extent of the beauty of Vaughan Williams' orchestral work, I seem to discover something new & yet more beautiful. Thank you for posting this, Colin, it is a revelation!
Vaughan Williams, the guardian of English music. In the absence of being able to celebrate Englishness (I don't even have a parliament in the world of assymetrical devolution), he is always a refuge for that deepest connection to the land of my birth. Thank you so much for uploading this.
R.V.WILLIAMS is the island's fresh forests, is the gloomy fog of dawns,is the beauty greenish of all Great Britain he is the soul of british people and all its ancient history,that is! all he is....evocative music which goes deep into your heart flushing everything out of you.
Cette oeuvre magnifique nous fait toucher le ciel et éprouver la présence du divin ...plus dans le miroir étonné de notre coeur qu'en Sa probable absence d'un ciel dont IL semble être avoir voulu le retrait.
I always enjoy listening to this piece and have returned to it so many times. In particular, recently and I always feel uplifted as a result, even during these grim and deeply worrying times. I perceive a wistful quality and imagine a conversation taking place between (the oboe) a lonely, youthful birdsong and the wider, (orchestral response) representing the ‘older’, more fulsome countryside that has endured eons of changing life through the centuries of British history. The exuberant bird sings joyfully from burgeoning boughs and the verdant countryside responds with patient resignation. It has heard and seen it all before, it’s message ‘let nature take it’s course’. Let man devise a way.
Yes! I hear the same conversation in his oboe concerto. It's purely subjective of course, but for me the oboe is a joyful young creature (the Lamb Of God?) while the orchestra is the loving mother - or perhaps the whole of nature - watching over the beautiful child. There is a section towards the end where the child glimpses something beyond, something of the Godhead, before finally skipping away, exultant in the fact of the world & its existence in it. I love Vaughan Williams. There may be " better" composers, but he touches me more profoundly than nearly anyone.
@@diogenesagogo- I made my comment last year when we were then in the grip of Covid and now, unbelievably we find ourselves in the throes of witnessing the madness of a deluded man, intent on pursuing his ‘Special Operations’ in Ukraine to impose his vision of history, wreaking havoc on the lives of countless millions in the process. May I suggest there is no better time than now to delve into the beauty of RVW’s music to seek some peace and serenity amidst his tones. Let’s hope the people of Europe soon find peace and the opportunity to momentarily rest, look up to the skies and let his music work its magic.
Wow. I am perpetually guilty of overdosing on British orchestral music of a certain era (RVW, Elgar, Holst, Delius, etc...) But I am really swimming in the ocean these days since discovering your channel. Nostalgia for a time and country I never personally knew, but feel like I know it...This piece is truly exquisite -- I had never heard it before.
Listening to this again with a heavy heart tonight. My boyfriend of almost three years died on September 28th. The nights are the hardest to handle now that I'm alone and the apartment is far too quiet. But music like this helps heal my grieving soul in so many ways. As always Colin, many thanks for uploading this.
Music aids the healing process, I'm sure, Stephen. One step at a time - you can't hurry the process but there's something about the melancholy nobility of RVW's music which suits times of sadness.
Stephen - I was really touched by your messages, and share with you the deep feelings VW evokes. I'm from England but live in Prague now, and find this music really gives me that 'nostalgia' that VW spoke of himself when composing. One of my most played CDs includes a lot of his orchestral pieces, such as: Norfolk Rhapsody No.1, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, The Lark Ascending, Five Variants of 'Dives and Lazarus', and so on, by two different orchestras conducted by Bryden Thomson. In time, I ended up getting all the symphonies as well. I hope after the year that has passed, you've found solace and healing. You might enjoy a visit to East Anglia and some other parts of the British Isles, that brings this music to life in another way - but clearly that isn't important, as VW meant a nostalgia that is 'the home and point of solace for the soul'. All the best.
Interminables recuerdos que inundan el alma envuelta en la obra de éste genio inglés, la mirada te lleva en alas del corazón a la Arcadia de tu alma qué bajo arboledas y colinas interminables iluminan tu ser. Gracias
yes, English, of course- but British too; he had Welsh ancestry and England was also the land of the Welsh-speaking ancient Britons. He is wonderfully expressive of England's landscapes anyway, and with the gentle lyrical romanticism of a good and deeply feeling soul.
I seldom find more subtle beauty than I do when I listen to Ralph Vaughan Williams. Absolute harmonic genius. Proof positive that still waters run deep in England's soul! Thank you for the lovely music and the equally lovely photos of dear old England. Cheers!
Thankyou Colin from Pentland in FNQ Australia - the Magpies are intrigued and in the trees all around on this warm afternoon and enjoying it along with me - such devine music
Images of Stourhead, Wiltshire, England: home to a grand British family (the Hoares), whose only son went off to war, together with men who worked for his family and who died by his side. His parents lived a little longer (heartbroken), married for decades, they died within hours of each other; their loss and this beautiful music, written by a WW1 stretcher-bearer remains their testament; all war is an abomination.
What can I say about this music except that only nine minutes of it compensates for the hours of routine and tedium one has to endure every day. I suppose there are composers who, I am obliged to confess, are "greater" than Vaughan Williams, but he is the composer closest to my heart.
Hi Robert, I respectfully disagree. I do not for a moment believe there are in actual fact composers somehow "greater" than Vaughan Williams. He was an exceptionally modernist who not only foresaw some of the musical innovations of the European continent, but also -and perhaps most importantly- laid the ground for a lot of music that was yet to come in many parts of the world, with both great technical skill and a unique personal sound based on tradition and reform. This romance is after all a very early piece that, however beautiful, bares very little resemblance of the mature VW of 1910 onwards. Kind Regards!
Beautifully done! Thank you, Colin, for taking the time to share a bit of unfamiliar early RVW and picturesque England with us. I hope to experience RVW's music on English soil someday...
Dear VW what wonderful Music you have left us, it heals my aching Soul and makes my Heart soar. My dear Music Master Mr Tregoing introduced me to VW's Music when I was a Child in the Fifties, and it has forever been my Sanctuary to turn to when feeling lost. Thank you.
Honestly, I am so ggrateful to you Colin for providing RVWs absolutely wonderful music. I never ever tire of listening to it , normally in my bath after a hard day. I know that there are many great classical composers but this man was a genius. No one else comes near him for composing unforced music. It flows. It conjures up the true sense of my English heritage and history. So valuable today when th e English tradition is so overlooked in favour of diversity whatever that really means. It seems to be a travesty of free speech and equality that other countries can celebrate their own identity and culture, when the media and thereby all those so influenced by the media so often deride and ignore British core values which for all their faults were the best in the world. Our democracy was a template and inspiration to so many other countries. The absolute majority of our population is white and heterosexual and the media should respect and reflect that. Laws are well in.place now to safeguard the rights of minorities and that should be enough. I have my own values and opinions. I have a right to that. Anyway thank.you again Colin. I need no other music to relax with and instsntly whisk me away from all the other biased and sensation seeking drivel so abundant around us.
@@271250cl And I Googled Peterborough, UK. Stunning, beautiful! Thanks again for providing us with Ralph Vaughan Williams. Listening to his music, takes away the sting of everyday life. Wishing you the very best Colin.
Cudo. Muzyka i pasujące zdjęcia. Uwielbiam tego miszcza nastroju. Spokój, łagodność, delikatność i cisza. Lark ascending. Bardzo dziękuję i pozdrawiam. Marek
I now live in Portugal ,but used to live near stourhead and visited the gardens many times at all seasons. Having Vaughn Williams music with this for a visual back ground is so nostalgic for me .Thank you so much Colin wonderful.
Elgar, Delius Vaughn Williams, Holst, Butterworth, Gurney. Finzi and many others who make up what the Germans said 'England a land without music'. It's deeply melancholic at times reflecting the era in which it was born!
Oh, Colin - this popped up after something else I had been listening to on TH-cam. It's beautiful. I never heard it before, and I know my Vaughan Williams! What a reassuring work in troubled times.
Another RVW fan - bravissimo!! Encore, encore!! Alas, RVW is sadly neglected in the USA (along with Elgar, Holst, and many other late-Romantic British composers). This movement is a real gem - so many thanks for the upload! Ted Wilks Program Annotator, Lancaster (PA) Symphony Orchestra, USA
One must try and imagine where in the Universe did Ralph Vaughn Williams hear these notes and then was able to arrange them in his marvelously composed works for all of us to hear and feel.
He spent some of his earlier life travelling the English countryside, like Toad in his caravan, informally listening to and notating traditional folk music in peoples cottages, village inns, and country fairs. Bear in mind that, despite publishers, many songs were being allowed to disappear. He had what must have been an idyllic time simply breathing in the various melodies and later orchestrating them. Can you imagine it! I'm surprised no-one has thought to make what would surely be a hopelessly romantic film, portraying part of this fascinating man's life.
At times we cross the transmundane, vague line that separates all we were taught is real from those realities we also feel- some cosmic in scope, harder to define.
This is a treasure of my mind This beautiful melody is beyond description Listening to this breathtaking melody , I might have a dream of nostalgic my late beloved mother . My tears are a testament of long farewell and sincere tribute to you , Mother . From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵
@@edf6607 Thank-you so much to your wonderful comments How is your country ？ The season of blooming cherry blossoms has come again in Japan In everywhere of Japan , the cherry blossoms are in full bloom We are joyful and feel comfortable However , unfortunately just like last year , for the second year in a row , the banquets in famous public parks of Tokyo under the cherry blossoms in full bloom have been perfectly banned to prevent the spread of infection of Covid - １９ The Rite of Spring peculiar to Japan from １０００ years ago can no longer be held . We are very lonely and sad This year too , the cherry blossoms are destined to fall lonely in front of us Be on the alert for Covid - １９ In Japan many young people are suffering from post - recovery sequelae Good luck ！
@@shin-i-chikozima Hello! I lost my dear mother in 2019 just at the end of winter/early spring and the blossom coming out reminds me of life continuing but I whilst it is sad I am happy that she and and my late Dad are now together.. The blossom is coming out here now and in Japan I am sure it looks very beautiful. Take care.
@@edf6607 Thank-you so much to your wonderful and impressive comments Take care of yourself Good luck In Japan the number of the infected people is gradually increasing , especially ２０s and ３０s of young people We are bewildered and confused by the situation
Not only did you present a lovely work new to me, but you also gave me glimpses of beautiful Stourhead, which I'd not heard of before, and which does seem entirely appropriate to accompany such romantic music. (I live in California USA, and have only visited parts of England as a too-brief tourist.)
Thank you for this lovely, romantic music and the pictures from Stourhead! The pictures are very carefully chosen. They were taken in autumn, a melancholic season, reminding of the coming winter. But at the same time, the wonderful pictures of the Indian Summer bright make forget this and so create a bitter-sweet atmosphere, like the romantic music. Very good work!
Returning home today on a fiery the audio speakers played city jive and screaming voices.Pots and pans slammed together make for better listening. I think of my father who exposed his offspring to better--------if not for him I would not know the impeccable compositions of truly great composers-----RVW being for me the greatest of all of them.
thanks again Colin Stourhead is one of my favourite garden's , I've been to see it at all four seasons .lots of nostalger for me .Obrigado from me in Portugal.
I've been a fan of VW for thirty years and I'd never heard of this piece. It's surprisingly rich and mature in the circumstances, and you can certainly hear the seeds of later, more celebrated works. It's also quite lovely, so thanks for posting.
Beautifully done. Stourhead was an inspired choice to go with this music, which really does deserve to be better known. I'm so glad to have discovered your channel.
This composer melts my heart. He has a way of capturing the fragility of life. A kind of finality haunts his music, one that you can only get through reminiscing. Everytime i hear his violins i find myself pondering life itself and how bittersweet and beautiful and sad and joyous it all is. And how meaningless it all is, without God.
I trust Vaughan Williams laid in the arms of God most fully. God said ' you are my friend and you hear me. Even when you say you don't or can't , I know the Truth of what is intended - LOVE , and I thank you for writing what is in my heart , my child , my dear Friend ' Love from , God
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I treasure the years I was privileged to live in England (in the Cotswolds, no less). Even now, 20 years after returning to the US, I still miss the hills, the fields, the stone houses, the village churches, the streams running through the meadows. But the music of RVW allows me to see (and hear, and smell) it all once again. There is no place on this Earth more beautiful than that "green and pleasant land".
I hope one day that this road of life we have been given returns you to the place you dearly love.
What a beautiful comment, i hope you can come back soon.
So true so true xx
Vaughan Williams touches the soul of England.
I read somewhere that RVW didn't like listening to his own compositions. All I can say is that I can't imagine what life would be like without his wonderful work.
This man was a British genius. Listening to his music makes me think of England, and what we have.
He was, and made Britain great with his wonderful music.
@@b.m.t.h.3961 "makes" not just "made". Nostalgia is the enemy. If I can find a bit of Lincolnshire coast somewhere near The Wash - genuine wilderness even in 2021 (maybe even more so?!) - then RVW and his inspired music is with me. And if there is too much plastic littered there, then we need to try and pick it up. Active not passive, joy not just melancholy. The whole thing about Vaughan Williams's music is that it is modern and ancient all at the same time. We must make sure that it fits to our future as well. It can do.
Indeed.
Had.
He was English. Not sharing him with the rest of the UK.
This is just being played on CLASSICFM RADIO as I watch the sky go dark 🌑 on this surreal Sunday evening.
Ralph Vaughan Williams is an icon 🌈✅
I am a native born Texan, yet I have always had a deep and lasting admiration and appreciation of all things British, especially the incomparable composers like Vaughan-Williams. There is an ache in my soul that music like this can soothe like nothing else in this world can. Thank you for creating a small refuge that we world wearied travelers can visit and remember that there is still great beauty to be found.
+Stephen Garvin I'm a Texan also, and I too am drawn to this music. I cycled around the British Isles for 6 weeks one summer. Colin's videos take me back there.
+Stephen Garvin Many thanks for taking the time to respond, Stephen.
+Stephen Garvin I'm a native born Aussie and feel the same way, well put Stephen! In fairness, I'm am about half English way back in my family tree..... :)
+Stephen Garvin
And I am native born South African but my parents are from England and Europe. This music feels part of my soul. Exquisitely beautiful.
Fully agree with both of you!
This is absolutely sublime. It touches my heart and soul like no other music. Rafe Vaughan Williams was gifted beyond words.
Beyond words, because it was with the help of the Holt Spirit - agnostic as RVW may have been!
Classic Holy Spirit, who blows where He will.
Including to me - with all the eccentricity and paradox that that entails!
Now I have no words to say how grateful I am for that - such a level of mercy and kindness.
And our dear Ralph tapped right into that too.
Believe me, there is enough of that healing, love, truth, insight for the whole world ... with some to spare!
Ralph Vaughan Williams. Romance.
The video photography is absolutely beautiful. Our English countryside there’s absolutely nothing to beat it.
It’s certainly an emotional piece. A Romantic walk through these beautiful Castle buildings and riverside views and grasslands too.
Perfection. …. Aghh
This man was so in love with the Earth, its true song is heard in his music. Thank you for allowing us to become acquainted with this less familiar, though no less great composition.
A refuge in this trouble time thoughts of how it used to be in times past in my England of my youth
absolutely beautiful - I teared up on hearing this the first time, having just lost my brother; it evoked so many memories...
How lovely that you may return to this this audible oasis and reminisce about a loved one and ease the sense of loss.
May your memories be bring you solace and The Almighty grant you comfort.
Had this played at my Mum's funeral 💌
I only discovered the Serenade in A the other week and I believe it is one of his most exquisite unknowns. More people need to discover this piece!
I feel the very presence of God in this music, it is more than just a piece of incredibly beautiful music because it touches the soul and sends the listener to a different level a different place on a spiritual level far away from Earths trials and tribulations . Wonderful Vaughan Williams .
Indeed! Like many of his works, they transport us to a different spiritual dimension. They seem to exude the ecstasy felt when the horrors of WWI came to an end and peace filled the air, even though it was composed 20 years earlier.
Amen.
Oh please, no god.
@@mrbenn1489 why should we censor our sensibilities at your say so? Is the word God not allowed to be used in TH-cam comments now because you disapprove? Vaughan Williams was himself an atheist who kind of moved up later in life to a "cheerful agnosticism". Yet he was a fundamental force in Anglican church music, including formulating their primary hymnal. There is something more than just names and labels.
@@loge10, I didn't demand anything, you oversensitive soul.
I miss Britain.
I feel a strong desire to "walk upon England's mountains green" again.
I have never commented on TH-cam before, but for you I will make an exception. I want to thank you for introducing me to RVW's beautiful works. He has quickly become my favorite composer. The videos you create truly capture the essence of his pieces. Listening to his music and learning of his life has enriched my life and I am very thankful to you for sharing it through this medium.
Seventy two years of age and heard this for the first time. Where has it been hiding. Absolutely lovely
In the first place, I would say that we find things when we need them. Or they are found for us. You may say it is the AI of TH-cam that does the finding - as indeed it may in the proximate understanding.
The ultimate meaning is a quite different thing!
In fact there are 6 parts to the Serenade in A Minor, which the composer came out with at the age of 26, in 1898.
However, after 1908 it left the repertoire, and was only then published in 2012.
So that somewhat helps explain why it is new to you, and indeed to me...
This music is so perfect and profound, it touches my soul,and I am not English... but I think everyone who likes good music could feel the same passion....
The gardens and the wonders landscapes are always in the British soul . ! Antonio Manoel Pereira - Brazil. Belo Horizonte city;
Thank goodness for TH-cam. Only Ralph Vaughan Williams I hear on classical radio is Theme on Thomas Tallis.
I've heard the full work several times and this movement stands out. It is so beautiful. Never tire of RVW's music.
Colin, it's August 21, 2024 .............I jumped in and simply enjoyed the Romance by VW. Thanks again for this video ....................over 3.1K likes ..........
Reply
It's a great piece, isn't it Roger. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I have to ration myself when it comes to RVW 's music. It always moves me, sometimes to tears, so I dare not listen to it in company. I have enjoyed walking in the British (not English) countryside for 60 years and love it dearly, his music always conjours up images of that gorgeous landscape, it s weather, seasons and moods. There are others of course but I don't think that there is another composer that can so adequately do this. I have traveled and seen some more spectacular landscapes in terms of scale and grandeur but this country shall always be my first love.
To be moved to tears by beautiful music such as this is to be human. We need more tears for beauty in this world.
There's something so characteristically British about RVW's sound, that one can't put their finger on, but it is there nevertheless. This evokes tranquil meadows and summer- when Britain is in summer there is just something so special about it. It's my fave season. It's so short and sweet and every year I love the first scent of summer in the air, the first bees, the flowers..
... an evenness of tone without histrionics, like looking over a field or river, even, and saying this is where I wish to remain.
For me, it also evokes a sense of youthful innocence. It makes me nostalgic forcthe rural parts of San Diego county (where I grew up), which is far away from England, of course. I suppose his idiom has a kind of universal quality.
Yup I totally agree, you're instantly transported into the peace and tranquility of the English countryside. It's a great antidote for the stress filled rat race of modern day...
NightOwl The same feeling is inspired by Delius.. Magical
saggoh this music is .......a sense of identity that this island is our Home , and we belong to it and to each other , I would qualify English from British . I am English not British , this music is for England .....
This is the earliest Vaughan-Williams work that I have yet to hear & I believe & before he studied orchestration with Ravel. Even at this time (1898) V-W had this gift that Ravel recognized & developed further, I believe.
I cannot put my finger on why, but this composers work strikes a chord within I cannot fathom but it is so beautiful.I am in awe and appreciation right now.
Beautiful work from the Orchestra.
Thank you for the uploadLong may RVW's work be listened too for decades to come.
I agree. The music of RVW reaches deep into my very spirit like no other and, as you say, it is difficult to explain why. It is very English of course so that could be a very obvious reason though there is more to it than that. Are you from England?
Might I suggest that you are a Romantic - which is quite different from a romantic? The true Romantic hears the subtle undertone of the mystical and feels the resonance without consciously understanding a process which is deeper than cerebral. It's why VW's music drives me mad sometimes. It's as though I sense something beyond the surface of mundane reality, something which is infinitely more beautiful, more captivating, and more precious. But I still can't reach out and touch it. That's the best suggestion I can offer, for what it's worth.
My WWII dad is dying, Colin, and I wanted you to know how much peace and comfort your RVW downloads are giving me as I pray for Dad, Army, 92.5. Yup, I'm crying listening to this piece but they're grateful tears to God. Thank you, Colin. God bless you
-- US Coast Goard mom from wayyyyyyyyyy across the pond on the other side.
It's very good to know that you find comfort in these videos at such a difficult time. I guess the real thanks should go to the man who made the music, though. Take care.
Colin
Colin. Thank you for all yourbeautiful music
Thank you for all the beautiful R V Williams
music I wonder why our Classic FM radio hardly ever play his music
Is that an American station Kathy? Perhaps you could write to them with some suggestions. The UK Classic FM station plays a few of RVW's pieces quite often, I think. I hope your father is comfortable, by the way and that the music continues to bring solace.
Every time I think I have discovered the full extent of the beauty of Vaughan Williams' orchestral work, I seem to discover something new & yet more beautiful. Thank you for posting this, Colin, it is a revelation!
Vaughan Williams, the guardian of English music. In the absence of being able to celebrate Englishness (I don't even have a parliament in the world of assymetrical devolution), he is always a refuge for that deepest connection to the land of my birth. Thank you so much for uploading this.
R.V.WILLIAMS is the island's fresh forests, is the gloomy fog of dawns,is the beauty greenish of all Great Britain he is the soul of british people and all its ancient history,that is! all he is....evocative music which goes deep into your heart flushing everything out of you.
Nicely said. Thank you.
Yes!
Cette oeuvre magnifique nous fait toucher le ciel et éprouver la présence du divin ...plus dans le miroir étonné de notre coeur qu'en Sa probable absence d'un ciel dont IL semble être avoir voulu le retrait.
I always enjoy listening to this piece and have returned to it so many times. In particular, recently and I always feel uplifted as a result, even during these grim and deeply worrying times. I perceive a wistful quality and imagine a conversation taking place between (the oboe) a lonely, youthful birdsong and the wider, (orchestral response) representing the ‘older’, more fulsome countryside that has endured eons of changing life through the centuries of British history. The exuberant bird sings joyfully from burgeoning boughs and the verdant countryside responds with patient resignation. It has heard and seen it all before, it’s message ‘let nature take it’s course’. Let man devise a way.
Yes! I hear the same conversation in his oboe concerto. It's purely subjective of course, but for me the oboe is a joyful young creature (the Lamb Of God?) while the orchestra is the loving mother - or perhaps the whole of nature - watching over the beautiful child. There is a section towards the end where the child glimpses something beyond, something of the Godhead, before finally skipping away, exultant in the fact of the world & its existence in it.
I love Vaughan Williams. There may be " better" composers, but he touches me more profoundly than nearly anyone.
@@diogenesagogo- I made my comment last year when we were then in the grip of Covid and now, unbelievably we find ourselves in the throes of witnessing the madness of a deluded man, intent on pursuing his ‘Special Operations’ in Ukraine to impose his vision of history, wreaking havoc on the lives of countless millions in the process. May I suggest there is no better time than now to delve into the beauty of RVW’s music to seek some peace and serenity amidst his tones. Let’s hope the people of Europe soon find peace and the opportunity to momentarily rest, look up to the skies and let his music work its magic.
Wow. I am perpetually guilty of overdosing on British orchestral music of a certain era (RVW, Elgar, Holst, Delius, etc...) But I am really swimming in the ocean these days since discovering your channel. Nostalgia for a time and country I never personally knew, but feel like I know it...This piece is truly exquisite -- I had never heard it before.
Great Art is free transportation for minds , no need to travel !
@oldwest I'm afraid that nobody can overdose on this gorgeous music!
Listening to this again with a heavy heart tonight. My boyfriend of almost three years died on September 28th. The nights are the hardest to handle now that I'm alone and the apartment is far too quiet. But music like this helps heal my grieving soul in so many ways. As always Colin, many thanks for uploading this.
Music aids the healing process, I'm sure, Stephen. One step at a time - you can't hurry the process but there's something about the melancholy nobility of RVW's music which suits times of sadness.
sorry to hear that man
Hang in there
Stephen - I was really touched by your messages, and share with you the deep feelings VW evokes. I'm from England but live in Prague now, and find this music really gives me that 'nostalgia' that VW spoke of himself when composing. One of my most played CDs includes a lot of his orchestral pieces, such as: Norfolk Rhapsody No.1, Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, The Lark Ascending, Five Variants of 'Dives and Lazarus', and so on, by two different orchestras conducted by Bryden Thomson. In time, I ended up getting all the symphonies as well. I hope after the year that has passed, you've found solace and healing. You might enjoy a visit to East Anglia and some other parts of the British Isles, that brings this music to life in another way - but clearly that isn't important, as VW meant a nostalgia that is 'the home and point of solace for the soul'. All the best.
Interminables recuerdos que inundan el alma envuelta en la obra de éste genio inglés, la mirada te lleva en alas del corazón a la Arcadia de tu alma qué bajo arboledas y colinas interminables iluminan tu ser. Gracias
This is really beautiful. I think Ralph Vaughan Williams is the best British composer.
Certainly one of the most distinguishable but there are others like Delius and Howells who are also just as fantastic
yes, English, of course- but British too; he had Welsh ancestry and England was also the land of the Welsh-speaking ancient Britons. He is wonderfully expressive of England's landscapes anyway, and with the gentle lyrical romanticism of a good and deeply feeling soul.
@@natus49 And let us not ever forget Benjamin Britten and Henry Purcell!
Calvin harris
@@natus49 Howells isn't a patch on VW and Delius was really German.
The little oboe birdsong three minutes in just brought tears to my eyes, as so much of VW does.
Dale Hill That's probably my favorite part followed by the strings as they play that lovely stately melody.
I seldom find more subtle beauty than I do when I listen to Ralph Vaughan Williams. Absolute harmonic genius. Proof positive that still waters run deep in England's soul! Thank you for the lovely music and the equally lovely photos of dear old England. Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it Johnny.
How lovely! Thanks Colin! Cheers from me, too.
Discovered this today - a special moment. Thank you.
Very glad you liked it Mr White
Thankyou Colin from Pentland in FNQ Australia - the Magpies are intrigued and in the trees all around on this warm afternoon and enjoying it along with me - such devine music
Absolutely SUBLIME! ❤
Colin, it's Sept. 18, 2023 ...................... just had to jump in and enjoy the Romance by VW. Thanks again for this video ....................
Glad you enjoyed it Roger!
This is simply splendid; and the scenes are so beautiful. Thee IS a God; there is beauty, and Vaughan Williams is a perfect example.
Images of Stourhead, Wiltshire, England: home to a grand British family (the Hoares), whose only son went off to war, together with men who worked for his family and who died by his side. His parents lived a little longer (heartbroken), married for decades, they died within hours of each other; their loss and this beautiful music, written by a WW1 stretcher-bearer remains their testament; all war is an abomination.
Immensely beautiful.
Thanks for this. I'm a RVW devotee but I've never heard this piece before. It's beautiful. Lovely photos too.
What can I say about this music except that only nine minutes of it compensates for the hours of routine and tedium one has to endure every day. I suppose there are composers who, I am obliged to confess, are "greater" than Vaughan Williams, but he is the composer closest to my heart.
None greater....
me too Robert Peters
Hi Robert, I respectfully disagree. I do not for a moment believe there are in actual fact composers somehow "greater" than Vaughan Williams. He was an exceptionally modernist who not only foresaw some of the musical innovations of the European continent, but also -and perhaps most importantly- laid the ground for a lot of music that was yet to come in many parts of the world, with both great technical skill and a unique personal sound based on tradition and reform. This romance is after all a very early piece that, however beautiful, bares very little resemblance of the mature VW of 1910 onwards. Kind Regards!
@@jupa3436 no doubt but I don't that was his point in saying it relieved the drudgery
Not greater, just less respected by those who cannot accept the beauty of music from the British Isles.
Beautifully done! Thank you, Colin, for taking the time to share a bit of unfamiliar early RVW and picturesque England with us. I hope to experience RVW's music on English soil someday...
Thanks for commenting Kit - very glad you enjoyed it. Do take a look at some of my other music-videos if you have time!
One of my favourite Vaughan Williams pieces. Thanks for uploading and providing the beautiful images too. Simply marvellous!
Dear VW what wonderful Music you have left us, it heals my aching Soul and makes my Heart soar. My dear Music Master Mr Tregoing introduced me to VW's Music when I was a Child in the Fifties, and it has forever been my Sanctuary to turn to when feeling lost. Thank you.
Honestly, I am so ggrateful to you Colin for providing RVWs absolutely wonderful music. I never ever tire of listening to it , normally in my bath after a hard day. I know that there are many great classical composers but this man was a genius. No one else comes near him for composing unforced music. It flows. It conjures up the true sense of my English heritage and history. So valuable today when th e English tradition is so overlooked in favour of diversity whatever that really means. It seems to be a travesty of free speech and equality that other countries can celebrate their own identity and culture, when the media and thereby all those so influenced by the media so often deride and ignore British core values which for all their faults were the best in the world. Our democracy was a template and inspiration to so many other countries. The absolute majority of our population is white and heterosexual and the media should respect and reflect that. Laws are well in.place now to safeguard the rights of minorities and that should be enough. I have my own values and opinions. I have a right to that. Anyway thank.you again Colin. I need no other music to relax with and instsntly whisk me away from all the other biased and sensation seeking drivel so abundant around us.
I'm making lasagna, drinking wine, and listening to this beautiful music. Thank you Colin, from Peterborough, NH.
Just Googled your hometown, Marco! It looks very nice! Much nicer than its English namesake. :)
@@271250cl And I Googled Peterborough, UK. Stunning, beautiful! Thanks again for providing us with Ralph Vaughan Williams. Listening to his music, takes away the sting of everyday life. Wishing you the very best Colin.
Thanks for helping me discover this glorious music. Well done Colin.
just lovely on a morning after a poor sleep when I needed soothing...
Lorna Harris I doubt if you could have alighted on a more soothing piece of music Lorna!
Cudo. Muzyka i pasujące zdjęcia. Uwielbiam tego miszcza nastroju. Spokój, łagodność, delikatność i cisza. Lark ascending. Bardzo dziękuję i pozdrawiam. Marek
Bless you, Marek, for discovering British classical music.
Yes it DOES exist, and is pretty good too!!!
I now live in Portugal ,but used to live near stourhead and visited the gardens many times at all seasons. Having Vaughn Williams music with this for a visual back ground is so nostalgic for me .Thank you so much Colin wonderful.
This is truly an English candle to defy any darkness.
Elgar, Delius Vaughn Williams, Holst, Butterworth, Gurney. Finzi and many others who make up what the Germans said 'England a land without music'. It's deeply melancholic at times reflecting the era in which it was born!
Clearly they were deaf, poor souls.
Oh, Colin - this popped up after something else I had been listening to on TH-cam. It's beautiful. I never heard it before, and I know my Vaughan Williams! What a reassuring work in troubled times.
Gorgeous, gorgeous !! Rafe is the best...
Warm thanks and greetings from Sweden!
Thank you Jan
Another RVW fan - bravissimo!! Encore, encore!!
Alas, RVW is sadly neglected in the USA (along with Elgar, Holst, and many other late-Romantic British composers).
This movement is a real gem - so many thanks for the upload!
Ted Wilks
Program Annotator, Lancaster (PA) Symphony Orchestra, USA
One must try and imagine where in the Universe did Ralph Vaughn Williams hear these notes and then was able to arrange them in his marvelously composed works for all of us to hear and feel.
He spent some of his earlier life travelling the English countryside, like Toad in his caravan, informally listening to and notating traditional folk music in peoples cottages, village inns, and country fairs. Bear in mind that, despite publishers, many songs were being allowed to disappear. He had what must have been an idyllic time simply breathing in the various melodies and later orchestrating them. Can you imagine it! I'm surprised no-one has thought to make what would surely be a hopelessly romantic film, portraying part of this fascinating man's life.
Perhaps from a higher level of reality.
At times we cross the transmundane, vague line
that separates all we were taught is real
from those realities we also feel-
some cosmic in scope, harder to define.
This is a treasure of my mind
This beautiful melody is beyond description
Listening to this breathtaking melody ,
I might have a dream of nostalgic my late beloved mother .
My tears are a testament of long farewell and sincere tribute to you , Mother .
From Tokyo of the Land of the Rising Sun 🇯🇵
Bless you
@@edf6607
Thank-you so much to your wonderful comments
How is your country ？
The season of blooming cherry blossoms has come again in Japan
In everywhere of Japan ,
the cherry blossoms are in full bloom
We are joyful and feel comfortable
However , unfortunately
just like last year , for the second year in a row , the banquets in famous public parks of Tokyo under the cherry blossoms in full bloom have been perfectly banned to prevent the spread of infection of Covid - １９
The Rite of Spring peculiar to Japan from １０００ years ago can no longer be held .
We are very lonely and sad
This year too , the cherry blossoms are destined to fall lonely in front of us
Be on the alert for Covid - １９
In Japan
many young people are suffering from post - recovery sequelae
Good luck ！
@@shin-i-chikozima Hello! I lost my dear mother in 2019 just at the end of winter/early spring and the blossom coming out reminds me of life continuing but I whilst it is sad I am happy that she and and my late Dad are now together.. The blossom is coming out here now and in Japan I am sure it looks very beautiful. Take care.
@@edf6607
Thank-you so much to your wonderful and impressive comments
Take care of yourself
Good luck
In Japan
the number of the infected people is gradually increasing , especially ２０s and ３０s of young people
We are bewildered and confused by the situation
@@shin-i-chikozima
th-cam.com/video/EM6n3SXSyeA/w-d-xo.html
Thank you...this speaks to me.
Thank you, Colin. This music touches my soul
RVW has a way of doing that Leila! Thanks for your comment.
This was the first piece to come to mind when I heard the Queen had passed away.
That is one mighty mountain, Andrew. It has the same rugged, monumental character as the symphony. Magnificent.
I heard this on Sirius XM Symphony channel for the first time yesterday. How have I missed this beautiful piece? Good job, Colin.
Delightful, musically and visually! I've watched this several times and find it a wonderful way to begin the day.
Thank you, Colin. Just exquisite. All of it.
Such lovely, heart-felt music at such a young age! Thanks for all you do to bring it to our attention. Wonderful of you.
This pensive song will heal my tired mind and melt away my suffering , sadness ,and lamentation
Thank you Colin I subscribed because of this. I will take a look at what else you have uploaded.
Thanks for your repsponse, Jim. I hope you enjoy some of my other videos. Unfortunately many are now interrupted by ads!
Not only did you present a lovely work new to me, but you also gave me glimpses of beautiful Stourhead, which I'd not heard of before, and which does seem entirely appropriate to accompany such romantic music. (I live in California USA, and have only visited parts of England as a too-brief tourist.)
His music has been a treasure to discover.
Thank you so much, Colin for uploading this little gem! I can hear several bits that remind me of the wonderful 3rd movement in his 5th Symphony.
What a beautiful piece! Epic! It made me fly away... Thanks a lot!
You're very welcome. Glad you liked it.
Thank you for this lovely, romantic music and the pictures from Stourhead! The pictures are very carefully chosen. They were taken in autumn, a melancholic season, reminding of the coming winter. But at the same time, the wonderful pictures of the Indian Summer bright make forget this and so create a bitter-sweet atmosphere, like the romantic music. Very good work!
Thanks Sunnemaettli! I'm very lad you like it.
Returning home today on a fiery the audio speakers played city jive and screaming voices.Pots and pans slammed together make for better listening. I think of my father who exposed his offspring to better--------if not for him I would not know the impeccable compositions of truly great composers-----RVW being for me the greatest of all of them.
your wonderful pictures and paintings are so fitting to Rvw's beautiful music, many thanks Colin.
Thank you Colin.Very very nice music.Greetings from Croatia.
Good to have you with us, Zoran!
Bless you.
Sensational music 2👍👍 up
R. Vaughan, what a beautiful symphony composer with Sibelius, both are incredibly stunning
Thanks for posting.
thanks again Colin Stourhead is one of my favourite garden's , I've been to see it at all four seasons .lots of nostalger for me .Obrigado from me in Portugal.
I know all RVW symphonies and most of his other major works. Why haven't I heard this beautiful work before! Thanks very much!
beautiful music, beautiful video. Refreshment on a Saturday evening. Thank you Colin!
I shall share this wonderful ,soul-soothing work as an acknowledging of this outstanding European musician.
How couldn't it be a so inebriant music on a beautiful peaceful forestal country as Great Britain.
Lovely work - first time hearing it
I've been a fan of VW for thirty years and I'd never heard of this piece. It's surprisingly rich and mature in the circumstances, and you can certainly hear the seeds of later, more celebrated works. It's also quite lovely, so thanks for posting.
Thanks, Richard. It really is a remarkably beautiful piece of music, isn't it?
If there were ever something beautiful with England, Vaughan sung it.
Beautifully done. Stourhead was an inspired choice to go with this music, which really does deserve to be better known. I'm so glad to have discovered your channel.
This composer melts my heart. He has a way of capturing the fragility of life. A kind of finality haunts his music, one that you can only get through reminiscing. Everytime i hear his violins i find myself pondering life itself and how bittersweet and beautiful and sad and joyous it all is. And how meaningless it all is, without God.
I trust Vaughan Williams laid in the arms of God most fully. God said ' you are my friend and you hear me. Even when you say you don't or can't , I know the Truth of what is intended - LOVE , and I thank you for writing what is in my heart , my child , my dear Friend ' Love from , God
Thank you Colin for another beautiful RVW piece, which I had not heard before.
Ralph Vaughan Williams - the Essence of England!
Thank you so much, Colin
Love the images of Stourhead. Local to us and a very beautiful place.
Remembering RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, who died on this day in 1958.
Listen and listen again.