Ralph Vaughan Williams

Question 1

When was Williams alive

Answer 1

1872-1958

Question 2

Describe the instrumentation

Answer 2

Solo voice and piano quintet (piano and string quartet)

Question 3

Describe the vocal style

Answer 3

Tenor soloist not very virtuosic (playing out of range)
Mainly syllabic
Occasional melismas
Ghost verses in No. 3 sung as if from a distance

Question 4

Describe the piano style

Answer 4

Block chords imitating church bells
Una cords ‘one string’ on piano
Ostinato accompaniments

Question 5

Describe the string style

Answer 5

Tremolo strings
Pizzicato cello
Sul ponticello (use bow close to bridge to produce unnatural metallic tone) = word painting as illustrates the gale

Question 6

Describe the melodic style

Answer 6

Note that it has a folk song influence
Restricted note range
Descends chromatically after forte climax
Repeated notes for emphasis if the gale

Question 7

Describe the rhythm and texture

Answer 7

Triplets and sextuplets
‘Is My Team Ploughing?’ Has long held notes to enable free time for the vocal
Frequent time signature changes
Accentuation of syllables like natural rhythms of speech

Question 8

Describe the texture

Answer 8

Texture reduced (voice and piano) towards end of No. 1
No. 1 ends with piano solo
No. 3 has fortissimo tutti (bar 50)
No. 5 has a melody-dominated homophony

Question 9

Describe the tonality and harmony

Answer 9

Dissonance on word ‘gale’ = word painting
Chromatic chordal movement as harmony slips down a semitone at a time
Seventh chords dominate No. 5

Question 10

Describe the structure of No. 1 ‘On Wenlock Edge’

Answer 10

5 verse structure
A A B B A/B (A/B = elements of both combined)
1st verse = diatonic modal over pentatonic style ostinato accompaniment
2nd verse = repeated and modified 1st verse
3rd verse adds trills and chromatic phrases
5th verse = 1st and 3rd verse elements combined

Question 11

Describe the structure of No.3 ‘Is My Team Ploughing?’

Answer 11

Odd numbered verses = ghost words
Even numbered verses = living man words
5th verse = ghost pitch increases
6th verse = living man responds higher at climax on high A flat

Question 12

Describe the structure of No. 5 ‘Bredon Hill’

Answer 12

7 verse structure
A A B B1 C D A1
Long pianissimo intro
3rd verse = piano ostinatos
5th verse = dissonance when his lives death is described
7th verse = climax on top A
= instrumental postlude with bell music from the beginning