Program Notes: Sea Pictures
“A Sea Symphony” by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams is a large, glorious, and exhilarating work for orchestra and chorus with soprano and baritone soloists. It is not a symphony in the classical sense but rather a choral fantasy with text drawn from Walt Whitman's “Sea Drift“ poem and others in Leaves of Grass.
First performed in 1910 on the composer's 38th birthday, A Sea Symphony marked Vaughan Williams' first major success. Although carrying the flavor of historic Britain and its sea-girt shores, it flies “a pennant universal...o'er all brave sailors, all seas, all ships.” The contemplative second movement sings of “the bright stars shining,... the clef of the universe and of the future. A vast similitude interlocks all...“ Clearly the bluff and homespun Englishman eagerly grasped Whitman's words of the universality of all souls in time and space.
The brilliant and breathless tone painting of the third movement scherzo speaks of “whistling winds“, “undulating waves“, and “many a fleck of foam“. The journey of the human soul with restless explorations flows “where mariner has not yet dared to go“ through the expansive and lengthy fourth movement. The massive, noble, and lyrical outpourings of Ralph Vaughan Williams' pen ensure a sweeping and eloquent voyage for participant and listener alike.
Contributing to the creative development of this composer was his avid interest in collecting traditional English folk-songs with his mentor Cecil Sharp. It has been said that his music sounds “national“ whether or not actual folk melodies are used. Shortly before completing his Doctorate of Music at Cambridge University, Vaughan Williams studied in Berlin with the Romantic composer Max Bruch. Several years later in 1907 he became both a great friend and student of the Impressionist master of orchestration Maurice Ravel. This period preceding the writing of the Englishman's First Symphony led to nearly fifty years to follow of an active life of composing in all genres of vocal and instrumental works. During the last years of his life he was honored as the unofficial composer laureate of his native land.
“A Sea Symphony“ may be heard at Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA on Sunday, March 3, 2002 at 4:00 pm. This concert represents an exciting collaboration of three choruses: Assabet Valley Mastersingers (Director Robert P. Eaton); Master Singers of Worcester (Director Malcolm Halliday); and Stow Festival Chorus (Director Barbara Jones). The orchestra conducted by Mark Churchill is Symphony Pro Musica, and solo portions will be performed by soprano Margaret O'Keefe and baritone James Maddalena.
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