Rhosymedre (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

Ralph Vaughan Williams was born on 12 October 1872 in Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, where his father, the Reverend Arthur Vaughan Williams (1834-1875), was vicar at All Saints Church. The surname Vaughan Williams is an unhyphenated double-barrelled name of Welsh origin.
At the age of six Vaughan Williams began piano and basic composition lessons with his aunt. He started playing the violin at the age of seven. In January 1887, at the age of fourteen, he attended Charterhouse School, which was one of the few schools at the time to encourage musical expression. After Charterhouse he attended the Royal College of Music (RCM) under Charles Villiers Stanford. He read history and music at Trinity College, Cambridge.
Vaughan Williams's composition developed slowly and it was not until he was 30 that the song "Linden Lea" became his first publication. He mixed composition with conducting, lecturing, and editing other music, notably that of Henry Purcell and the English Hymnal.
In 1904 Vaughan Williams discovered English folk songs and carols, which were fast becoming extinct because the oral tradition through which they existed was being undermined by an increase in literacy and the availability of printed music in rural areas. He travelled the countryside, transcribing and preserving many himself. Later, he incorporated some songs and melodies into his own music, being fascinated by the beauty of the music and its anonymous history in the working lives of ordinary people. His efforts did much to raise appreciation of traditional English folk song and melody.
This piece is a prelude on the welsh hymn tune Rhosymedre, the middle of a set of three. The name has no literal translation into English, but I do hope you find this interpretation to live up to the tune's alternative name of "Lovely".

[@ericrawson2909]

Thank you. Listening to this is just what I needed to rejuvenate my spirit, and brought tears to my eyes. Made me realise there is still beauty in this world where for the last few years vile, corrupt, evil, authoritarian people have ruined so many lives.

[@tomroberts4816]

Beautiful Welsh music. Played at both my parents funerals. Being of Welsh decent, very moving for me.

[@erichkusterer6339]

Great performance. Perfect tempo. I like it. Chapeau.

[@lamarpuckett6950]

How lush and beautiful!!! So peaceful and ethereal! Thank you so much for playing this piece for us!!!

[@seanlatimer5871]

Exquisite 👏

[@seanlatimer5871]

Perfect tempo and registration 👌

[@colinminton9190]

Beautiful work beautifully played. Great choice of combinations to reflect the rising and falling of this memorable melody. Thank you for posting this

[@14reger]

Lovely pace! Congratulations!

[@johnnorvell6458]

LOVELY!

[@sedumjp]

I love the registration of the hymn tune when it comes in on the Great (I am assuming it is one the of the open diapasons on the great, probably not #1). Just a little more prounounced than the accompaniment, but very subltely blended so you have to listen for it. I am pretty sure this is what RVW wanted from the piece.

[@Bailey2006a]

Beautifully played.

[@davidgriffiths7215]

Thanks for an outstanding performance of this much-played work. Re your comment about there being "no literal translation into English", Rhosymedre is the name of a village in Wrexham in Wales. I'm very impressed with your Hauptwerk (?) set up. A short video "tour" would be most interesting.

[@annreid8531]

“Much played” perhaps, but never EVER often enough for me! Lovely performance.

[@lawrenceelliott350]

This piece was played at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales and at the weddings of both of her sons.

[@odettebilby]

I'm really enjoying your beautifully polished and musical performances on KZbin! But wondering when next you are going to add another video? I'm totally immersed in the sounds and musical lines of this piece. Well done!

[@ubertuba]

Thank you Odette. Unfortunately, COVID has prevented any recording. I share the organ with my friend and I can’t visit his house to practice and record. Also we have a problem with electronics at present!

[@odettebilby]

@@ubertuba That is certainly a miserable state of affairs! I wish there was a solution. Have you tried social media to see if there is another (superb) organ in your area gathering dust?... Oh well, one can hope!

[@taylorharvey9669]

LOVED IT!!...(and love this RVW)....would love to know more about your VPO console and audio system...such an excellent and fine looking console....Blessings to you and your wonderful playing....

[@ubertuba]

Thanks Taylor! What would you like to know?

[@glynnwright1699]

Rhosymedre. 1. from welsh : a place name of a Welsh village in North Wales meaning "hidden or secret plain or moor," from the the Welsh words "ymedrio," hidden, and "Rhos", plain , heath or moor. used as a title for, a hymn tune and for a piece of music by Vaughn Williams.

[@stephenarnold6359]

Thanks. Would have liked the "cantus firmus/chorale" (in effect) to have been on a most distinctive stop, but anyway...

[@ZL54JK8]

Somebody else in the comments here thinks the solo is just right, that it is subtly blended, and is surely what the composer would have wanted. I'm sorry to say it, but your comment ("but anyway...") gives the impression that you listened to this grudgingly and felt that you had to say as much. My own feeling is that comments should bring something new to our attention. I think it's nice for the performer to know that listeners enjoyed what he or she did, but I do find there are so many people who want us to know they could have really done much better themselves!

[@tomlamphere9560]

The first organ piece for my funeral....when my family is being seated. Means the world to me.

[@gemmamcgregor2666]

Diolch yn fawr

[@larikipe940]

I play it eine kleine bit faster, but it is lovely at this tempo, too.

[@egon4593]

"eine kleine bit faster"... (Sorry, I´m from Germany.😊)

[@matt-of-lancs]

This tempo is about right for me - though I have heard it a touch slower before.

[@ailsaburns4028]

Bendigedig, diolch

[@ubertuba]

Ailsa Burns diolch yn fawr