Vaughan Williams - Symphony no. 5 in D. 3rd movement - "Romanza".

[@theGentlemanCaller73]

The number of grown men who freely admit being moved to tears--myself included--is refreshing. What a gift VW left us.

[@paulfrindle7144]

This is one of the most beautiful pieces ever written. I first heard this as a child and it changed me forever. Each time I hear it, it produces tears of emotion in my eyes and uplifts my soul. He was a genius - and his vision has lived with me throughout my entire life.

[@micksargent8379]

I fell in love with this Symphony when I was a young man, having discovered VW in my teens. I'm now 73, and I've have been besotted by VW's music ever since those early post war years. The Romanza is, in my view, the most beautiful piece of music ever written. Every time I play it it brings me to tears, with it's heart-wrenching beauty and it's evocation of my England. Forget the flags and militaristic jingoism, VW's floating melodies do it for me, conjuring up fields, hills, larks and soft, green countryside. That is my England. I don't have too many years left on this planet, but the Romanza will be playing me out at the crematorium, to send me off happy. I hope it affects those left behind, who are unacquainted with VW's music as much as I was all those years ago. Thanks, Scot.

[@ScotPeacock]

+Mick Sargent Hi Mick, I couldn't agree more. For me, VW's music is the music of the land, of the soft glow in the westcountry, of the ancient but rounded downs and woods. But it isn't picture painting. He captues the 'otherness' of our green and pleasant land. His 5th has a particularly searching quality to it. I think it finally finds its peace right at the very end; and when the music comes to rest with that shimmering final D major chord, a chord that glows and gradually fades until we're not sure we can still hear it, we know that deep peace is possible. Mick, none of us know how long we have left; but like you, VW's 5th has inspired me to go gently into that good night :-) Thank you for sharing :-)

[@wildbarries]

You can't believe how glad I am to know that there is another person in this world who is as deeply affected by this music as I am! This piece is, without doubt, the most beautiful and heartbreaking I've ever heard.

[@ScotPeacock]

+Amanda Barrie Hi Amanda, I think Rafe's music is universal. I can't imagine how others couldn't be moved by this. But I hear what you're saying, to share this beauty with others who also want to share and express is a precious gift. Our reaction to music is inner and personal and so I feel so grateful and connected when other people like yourself open up and express themselves in such a giving way. As you say, heartbreakingly beautiful :-)

[@ernestmoney7252]

+Mick Sargent "That is my England. I don't have too many years left on this planet," VW's England is long gone, and what remains of her does not have too many years left on this planet.

[@brit1066]

What a beautiful comment, it parallels my feelings EXACTLY. It. Is eerie, as I could have written the same words myself.

[@PeterBrowne99]

60 years ago, this music caused me to change my college major from science to music. I never had any regrets.

[@ScotPeacock]

Hi Peter, Looking back to 25yrs ago, I wish the courage of your convictions to do the same. I don't regret pursuing a degree in science (astrophysics) because it has led me to amazing things. However, even now when I attend a concert, I have to restrain myself from conducting the performance in my chair :-D I love VW's music, especially the Fifth. It is like a sacrament, but one for all people, no matter what belief or non-belief they have. It opens a portal to a shimmering paradise, a glimpse of what could be, yet at the same time holds up a mirror to show us the tragedies of our human existence. And it soothes the soul. That radiant and serene end takes us to a place we all long for. This music has such beauty it is almost painful.

[@TK42138]

Scot Peacock No truer words were written. Spot on sir.

[@ScotPeacock]

***** Thank you :-)

[@WilliamFord972]

I'm doing both.

[@ScotPeacock]

William Ford I doff my hat to you, sir :-)

[@DanielColageo]

Oh! The comments. This is the best comment thread on the planet. Just a pure joy. Thank you, everyone. And thanks for posting, Scot. It's been a pleasure to enjoy RVW my whole life, and will be the whole rest of it.

[@andrewb9974]

I've played cello for 30 years in orchestras...this Symphony in particular had the audience in a trance. I was so incredibly moved. It was like the entire world stopped spinning. What a memory...it'll last a lifetime.

[@daphneanson9587]

At the premier performance of Vaughan Williams's 5th Symphony in London in 1943 (after four years of war) instead of applauding at the end, the audience sat in silence for two or three minutes before applauding- they were simply knocked out by the work. This was reported in all the newspapers at the time. What a magnificent tribute to this great work.

[@malcolmosman6111]

It had the same effect on the recording engineers evidently. One of the WO's (Women Operators) had tears streaming down her face...

[@thomasromano9321]

Can you imagine what it must have been like to hear this work in the middle of London Blitzkrieg? How tough and strong the London people must have been to get through all the terrorism of round the clock bombing raids, then hear this music? Music amidst the terrible destruction and death?

[@annakimborahpa]

@@thomasromano9321 Similar to the premiere of Dmitri Shotakovich's 7th Symphony during the siege of Leningrad on March 5, 1942?

[@oldedwardian1778]

@@thomasromano9321 I completely agree, with one addendum. That courage of the people of London was multiplied a million fold by ALL THE PEOPLE OF BRITAIN WHO EXPERIENCED THAT AWFUL TIME. I was born on the fringes of the Black Country in 1942 and saw with my own eyes the terrible destruction that WWII brought to all those who opposed such EVIL. Remember that although VW was a pacifist he performed some of the most brave duties that can be imagined as an ambulance attendant in WWI. He dragged wounded men from NO MANS LAND TO SAFETY and was decorated for it.

[@thomasromano9321]

@@oldedwardian1778 He certainly did, oldedwardian1778! I read a biography of Ralph Vaughan Williams, and have listened to many of his works for years. He became friends with composers such as Gustav Holst and Gerald Finzi in his long, prolific life as a composer. During World War l he wrote letters to another great composer, Maurice Ravel, who was, I believe, a commissioned officer. You're absolutely right, driving an ambulance on a battlefield took a lot of courage. Thank God he didn't become a casualty of the war, such as another great English composer, George Butterworth.

[@oldedwardian1778]

I am 82 years old and am happy to join the ranks of all those GROWN MEN who are bought to tears by this INCOMPARABLY BEAUTIFUL MUSIC. I was born and raised in Northern Worcestershire on the fringe of the Black Country and have lived in the USA now for over 50 years. I like to say I was born in the same place as Elgar and next door to the Great VW. I am now 82, sitting in the doctors office waiting for my wife, thanks be to MODERN MEDICAL SCIENCE. Ah here she comes. Best wishes to you all, and eternal thanks to the Great VW

[@robertzeek4020]

He did all of the thinking up front and made sure that every theme could bear its burden and then he clearly just felt his way though the act of composition.

[@RASTAFALLI]

I fought shy of VW's music until I was nearly 30 years old. Then one summer's evening I heard this symphony performed at the proms in London (on the radio). The delicate opening of the first movement moved me beyond words, almost unaccountably so. Suffice to say that listening to this gorgeous Romanza, the tears were running down my cheeks. It continues to move me over 30 years later, and I'm happy to say that I adore RVW's music, after that "Oh well, let's give this old bugger a chance" shaky beginning. Love at first listen

[@musicstewart9744]

It was premiered during the proms in 1943.

[@jackarcher7495]

I too "grew into" RVW's music. Now I can barely get enough.

[@caroline20853]

I thought this was the most sublime piece of music in the world the first time I heard it, as a student at the Royal College of Music in the late 1970s. Deeply haunting and bittersweet. And an awesome performance from Handley and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. Thank you for posting this gem.

[@robclark4626]

I am obsessed with this symphony right now. Takes me to another place. Simply one of the most beautiful and uplifting pieces of all time.

[@TK42138]

Got to be one of the most sublime pieces of music ever written. Tough call between this and 2nd movement of Saint-Saen's Organ Symphony No 3.

[@ScotPeacock]

***** As much as I love the Organ Symphony slow movement, I think RVW tops it. However, considering it is a French piece, the Organ slow movement has a very English string sound.

[@samuelsamson8210]

@@TK42138 Well, there's Wagner's Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde, song by Waltraud Meier, Brigit Nillson or Kirstin Flagstaff. Or the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th. Or the Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber.

[@jonstarks5427]

One of the most beautiful pieces I think i've ever heard. You are certainly not alone in this regard, I've been obsessed with this for over 20 years!

[@ob4161]

This and the second movement of Sibelius 3rd symphony are two incredibly beautiful pieces. This symphony was also dedicated to Sibelius.

[@Lamplighter888]

2:33-4:01 and 7:54-9:34 Quite possible some of the greatest music ever written by humanity on this earth.

[@Elitist20]

Tears your heart out.

[@ABodde-rr6ho]

this music touches a string in the depth of my soul, like most of Vaughan Williams' work does for me! I just recognize a deep longing in it for inner peace and liberation, an ever human existential feeling of love and beauty!

[@ScotPeacock]

You've nailed it. That's what I hear, too. And what's magical is that in this symphony VW finally finds his peace, but only right at the end with the final chord, which shimmers and fades into 'niente'. I'm getting prickles on the back of my neck just thinking about it :-)

[@KubaRychlik]

If there exists a definition of beauty, that's probably it

[@ScotPeacock]

+Kuba Rychlik One of the top three, at least :-)

[@theGentlemanCaller73]

This and The Lark Ascending - for me the two most beautiful pieces ever composed. here I am, a 42 year old man with tears in my eyes.... Every single time. it reaches you in the most sacred parts your soul. Alas, I fear VW was the last expression of pure, genuine Englishness.

[@TheMarcHicks]

Matt Lohrke you forgot Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis!

[@sallymn101]

I always get that ache in the back of the throat that is like tears....

[@ScotPeacock]

Yes, it has that almost unbearable beauty that makes you want to cry.

[@ScotPeacock]

Don't hold back. If this music makes you want to cry, then cry. I know I do :)

[@theGentlemanCaller73]

Absolutely... VW is peerless!

[@ursulaloveridge9927]

Impossible to listen to this beautiful work without tears. Sublime.

[@JeffL57]

I still come back every now and then to play this beautiful piece. I was sadly reminded that back on March 2nd this year, my Mom and I were talking about beautiful sounding orchestral pieces. On the way home from an eye doctor appt. I told her of this exquisite movement and that I would play it for her. Several hours later that day my Mom suffered her 3rd stroke. She passed away two weeks later. I never had the chance to play this for her. I hope that she hears it now in Heaven!

[@JeffL57]

In the summer of 1994 I was on a bus tour of Europe. On part of this trip, our group spent several days in the town of Zermatt, Switzerland. The town is only accessible by train and motor vehicles simply are not permitted. One beautiful morning, I had this gorgeous movement playing on my Sony CD Walkman. With the serene music playing in my earphones, I had the most stunningly clear view of the Matterhorn. It represented to this day one of the most eloquent 15 minutes of my entire life.

[@IvoryMelodies86]

If you asked me back in my college days what my favorite classical piece was, I wouldn't have been able to make up my mind and I'd have given the whole generic "Oh, there's so many, I can't pick one" answer.. but ever since I've discovered this piece six years ago, it's always been this one. I actually have a favorite now lol. I swear, Ralph Vaughan Williams is way too often overlooked with his work, and this movement (the whole symphony is amazing too) just captures magnificent expression, emotion, and yes.. even something spiritual in a sense... It's like something reaches deep into my being and just spirals inward and outward.. There is pain in it's beauty but a very good pain.. a very raw and naked sense of humanity. It gives a sense of longing, loss, turmoil, but instead of it just dropping you off somewhere to abandon you, it lets you off gently giving you something even stronger at the end... hope.. and perspective.. Six years later, I still can't listen to this work without a lump in my throat... ... Okay... maybe more than a lump.

[@ScotPeacock]

I hear you. It gets me every time, too.

[@townsvillian12]

Damn right!

[@Pippistrelle72]

I'd not heard this one from VW until the other day, having been obsessed with Thomas Tallis, heard this on the radio whilst out with the dog, my heart pounded and I had tears rolling down my cheeks, think it might possibly even beat Thomas Tallis which is saying something, this beyond beautiful, this music is heaven sent.

[@cobbybrook]

The man was a true genus. Thank you for sharing this stunning recording of this wonderful movement!

[@brianeynon2916]

The epilogue of this symphony also is so beautiful the best of any ever written .

[@simplecooking9220]

Masterful in its complexity, genius in its technical brilliance. Speaks directly to my soul. This music is a far cry from the trash that is churned out in 2021

[@pawdaw]

'He hath given me rest by his sorrow and life by his death'. Vaughan Williams original inscription on this movement.

[@JJBushfan]

I used to listen to this symphony a lot many years ago. It was my favourite of VW's longer works, along with maybe the 2nd Symphony. Tonight I got it as a recommendation on KZbin - and back came the wet eyes.

[@ScotPeacock]

I'm very happy it affected you so profoundly. It does the same to me.

[@michaelmosher5168]

Beyond beautiful. The melody is settling and hopeful.

[@jbs901]

The climax at 8:56 is the most stirring, emotional music I've ever heard. When the horns come in to echo the strings' Hallelujah motif, it sends shivers down my spine and tears well up in my eyes. I love all RVW music, but this is transcendent.

[@lasorciere9928]

2019 and this is still the most amazing piece of classical music in the world.

[@ScotPeacock]

It speaks of what the world could be, whilst still=feeling deeply for what it currently is.

[@paulfitz-george881]

When I hear this, I think of the rolling hills and warm summer days in deepest Kent or Norfolk. I've been besotted with Vaughan Williams since the age of eleven. It was my Uncle Bob who introduced him to me and every time I hear his London Symphony I always think of Bob and the London Transport red rover bus tickets he used to buy us at weekends, when we would go jumping from one bus to another just to see where it went...bliss!

[@davidchaplin7839]

Discovered this remarkably gifted composer through his lovely, The Lark Ascending and the more I listen the more I love and value his gift to us all.

[@batosato]

I am a metal and rock lover and I only came across Sir Williams when I happened to heard this symphony in school in music class and by God am I in love with this piece, it has everything that a metal lover looks for, brilliant transition, mesmerizing music and out of this world sequencing. HAIL Vaughen Willaims HAIL

[@Rolinger56]

I was driving down the road...I heard this on the radio...had to pull over to figure out who wrote this. Oh my God...

[@ScotPeacock]

Yes, that was my reaction when I first heard this: 'oh, my God!'It's so beautiful it almost hurts.

[@strawnobi]

I saw a dynamite high school Orchestra play this at the New Mexico Music Educators conference a number of years back. Vaughn Williams music contains so much passion. If you are in love or have a broken heart it can be too intense to listen to.

[@ScotPeacock]

+strawnobi Yes, it can take you to places you're not quite ready for. However, if you are prepared to go with it, this music can bring such a cathartic release x

[@kalliwheeler8144]

I played in that Orchestra, and I come here frequently to listen to this piece and remember that time on stage! I am so honored it has stuck with you too.

[@strawnobi]

@@kalliwheeler8144 I was a teacher in Hobbs at that time. I went out and bought a CD of this piece after your performance. I’ve always loved Vaughn Williams.

[@EnzoMXII]

I was hearing this piece immediately after the news of Her Majesty's death... cannot stop the tears...

[@mitchamcommonfair9543]

It is part of the funeral tomorrow

[@redwingblackbirdnell]

This will be played for her in a few hours...

[@EnzoMXII]

Good choice! Vaughan Williams, Howells, Maxwell Davies, Elgar... an anthology of United Kingdom's most important composers!

[@MrRbjunior83]

Hollywood composers adore this humble and silent genius!!!

[@kiwidave6]

I first got to know and love Vaughan Williams' opera "The Pilgrim's Progress", many years ago as a teenager. This particular theme appears early on in the work and is sung to the words, "He has given me rest by His sorrows, and life by His death" - a very moving depiction of the timeless Gospel message of our Lord and Saviour, so central to the Pilgrim's story. I was awestruck years later when I heard the 5th symphony for the first time and immediatey recognised this lovely, haunting theme.

[@TheMarcHicks]

I sometimes feel that Vaughan Williams is too often overlooked in the classical music repertoire. He had such a great talent for harmony & rich orchestration!

[@ScotPeacock]

Marcus: absolutely! In the last two years the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra did a complete cycle of his symphonies. Every one was an event! Waonderful music. The orchestration was incredible.

[@robertzeek4020]

Not overlooked -- so deeply embedded that it is almost redunadant to talk about him. Just as Sibelius (Williams' key influence) is deeply embedded in all sorts of funk and disco from the Theme from Shaft, to Philly Funk like Brick House, to Voulez Couchez avec Moi.

[@christophernunn943]

This rendition is so sensitively played, everything hits the spot Hadley's interpretation of RVW works are undoubtedly the best.

[@user-lb4tt8ve8m]

Couldn’t agree more….all of Handley’s RVW interpretations beat most others I’ve heard by some considerable margin, especially this sublime recording of the 5th .

[@sallymn101]

Exquisite, I can never listen to this without a catch in the throat....

[@ScotPeacock]

I know. Even listening to it in my head can do that to me. Amazing work!

[@ScotPeacock]

Thank you for all of your thoughtful comments. I'm glad you all respond to this music in such a special way. It is a very gentle, powerful and spiritual work. It shimmers in a way that is unique to Vaughan Williams. He captures the glow of the westcountry, the region he used to cycle round when he was young, collecting folk songs in the pubs. This recording is on the EMI label, performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and conducted by Vernon Handley.

[@edc5338]

VW's music has the capacity to reach deep into your soul and grasp emotions you never knew you had.

[@Jared_Albert]

Beautiful picture choices. THank you.

[@lizconway3472]

I'm so glad this was included yesterday in the funeral music for Queen Elizabeth II. It is so quintessentially English and, even though it was played on the great organ of Westminster Abbey rather than in its orchestral home, it continues to evoke a time and place in English history that is unparalleled in our modern time. Inis vitae sed non amoris.

[@SparrowJack789]

Why oh why is there not a 'love' button. My eyes leak every time I listen to this. Without fail, one of my most favourite pieces of music ever

[@averyantitory4626]

What a lovely video to one of my favourite pieces of music by my favourite of composers....cheers Scot.

[@ScotPeacock]

You are most welcome. The video is a compilation of photos from some of the places that are most dear to me. They are all of places around Bath and Avebury, recalling times once spent with someone very close to me. Very happy memories accompanied with some of the most beautiful music ever written - music that is as profound as it is lovely.

[@GeorgeQH]

gorgeous piece, studied it a A-level and has to be my favourite piece of music of all time! VW was born a few miles away from me!

[@ewanmackay3021]

I love your work Scot! I'm studying a BMus in Composition at the moment, up in the North East of Scotland. Vaughan Williams has always been an enormous influence on my music. This Symphony is absolutely stunning - particularly this , the Romanza. Must have been such catharsis to those who heard this during the war! Keep up the good work!

[@ScotPeacock]

+Ewan Mackay Hi Ewan, thanks for your kind comments. North East, eh? Aberdeen? I didn't know they had a music department there. I'm living in Glasgow but I'm originally from the north east - Arbroath. If I had my time over again I would be studying what you're studying: composition! What a wonderful way to focus your creativity. I also adore VW's music. His music says it all for me; and finally, it's receiving attention outside the British Isles. His music is universal; it's not about cows lolling in a field :-D

[@NonInflatable]

Those heart-rending descending notes from 10:49......unbelievably beautiful.....

[@JamesBond-zc5gm]

Goes effortlessly from moods of quiet peacful sorrow to epic granduer with the flight of birds on the wing. Loverly journeys of the heart ❤️ 💙

[@JamesBond-zc5gm]

And soul

[@JamesBond-zc5gm]

Prayers

[@marie-ctunnicliff513]

I'm listening to this with tears flowing - such a beautiful piece of music , sublime!

[@tedlabash]

This is amazing! I love the strings. I feel good others appreciate the finer things in life.

[@ScotPeacock]

Thanks, Ted. It does help to alleviate the crap that life throws at us :-)

[@user-bh4rx8mf8g]

A beautiful piece of music, excellently performed, and set to a very sensitively and intelligently selected collection of photographs. Thank you Scot for the upload.

[@ScotPeacock]

Tom Nutts Thank you, Tom. Glad you like the presentation. That part of the westcountry means a lot to me. Odd that, coming from a Scotsman ;-D This music, amongst other things, conjures up the soft glow of that part of the world. Mmmmm.

[@ScotPeacock]

Wow, beautiful quote for a beautiful piece of music! Thanks.

[@ScotPeacock]

I am sorry to hear of your loss. I understand how much this music can mean to you. My father is very ill at the moment. I heard this piece live just last week in Glasgow and it helped me to release emotion. It felt really good to cry for my father; it didn't matter if it was in the middle of the concert hall. This music would not leave a dry eye in the house. I hope that your mum can hear the music through you :-)

[@soundtreks]

This is a terrific reading of this piece as well. The other VW that always gets me is his Five Variants on Dives and Lazerus.

[@ScotPeacock]

Thank you for the slideshow comments. That piece of music is so beautiful. It speaks of a universal wish for peace, and yet reminds me of the westcountry. The pictures are of spots around the Bath area. They're very personal to me as the hilly areas are places I used to walk with my girlfriend, who lives in Bath. We're no longer together, but the music and the pictures remind me of the good times we had & I feel gratitude. Indeed, the music helps me to appreciate all the good things in life :-)

[@Folma7]

I love this romanza so very much. It haunts me!

[@robertzeek4020]

I was a 14 year old drummer. I got for my Birthday some new Zildjian Cymbals and my father objected to the price. And my parents had their ritual fight. I put on the turntable the whole of the 5th Symphony knowing I would come to the third movement. It was to me a quiet place in a time of war and I thought about war and peace. It changed my life. I was not alone. But I was responsible to never deliberately make others feel alone. "and that has made all of the difference." (Robert Frost)

[@eddyfinkful]

Excellent work with the Images, Scott Peacock!

[@damianc80]

What beauty... remarkable piece

[@amyjones8900]

So beautiful! ❤️

[@ScotPeacock]

+Amy Jones Hi Amy. Yes, I have to agree. It's so beautiful it's almost too much to bear! Glad you like it :-)

[@DavidMcCall-d5j]

Saw this live played by the Nova Scotia Symphony about twenty-five years ago. And as at the premiere referenced below by @daphneanson9587 the audience waited a full ten seconds or so before applauding. I only rarely listen to it even though I've owned a copy of it for thirty years. Its that achingly beautiful...

[@1RobertCEvans]

Thanks very much for sharing this! Lovers of VW might like to know that there is a very active Facebook page sponsored by the RVW Society.

[@ScotPeacock]

Thanks, Robert. I'll look at that right away :-)

[@wiganjim]

Towards the end, dad stopped being affected by this. I knew he'd loved it and been emotionally attached to it. The last time I played his old vinyl copy with Sir Thomas at the stick; I knew he'd as good as gone. RVW may be sometimes accused of clumsy instumentalisation, or overusing themes, but when he got it all clicked together, it is more beautiful than I could ever explain. I will never not be affected by this.

[@ScotPeacock]

That's a very moving story, James, and a real kindness for your dad if this was the last thing he heard :-) Thank you for sharing.

[@wiganjim]

+james l turner I still have that old mono recording, but I know I'll never listen to it again. Some things are never the same without those who brought the magic into your life.

[@ScotPeacock]

+james l turner I understand that one. Is it possible to create new special memories of your own with a different recording?

[@davidlevy3904]

My appreciation of VW's music grows more and more, and now this incredible work. Amazing !!

[@ScotPeacock]

It's Vernon Handley conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. His cycle of VW's symphonies is, arguably, the best and certainly the most consistently excellent set of recordings: very passionate, deeply searching and highly sympathetic to VW's sound world. And they're only £15 from Amazon - an unbelievable bargain!

[@ScotPeacock]

@SparrowJack789 I hear you, I totally hear you. It has such beauty, tenderness, hope and compassion. How can someone write that into the mere vibration of strings and wooden and metallic tubes. I find it miraculous!

[@ComedySnorgatroids]

4th movement of Mahler 5 comes close, but for me this is the most beautiful music ever written. I've listened and performed a lot of it over the years. This movement moves me every time.

[@ScotPeacock]

You're welcome, Caroline. I may re-post this movement with the rest of the symphony very soon (at a higher sound quality). I have posted up other VW works, hoping to show his darker side. However, nothing can touch this. The things that make us human, the light deep inside us that raises us up above the darkness and primal fears, that is all evident within his 5th symphony. Miraculous!

[@windstorm1000]

@djohnnyf I completely agree with you. VW's music is about the human spirit finding peace--but wedded to the countryside, where one can only find true peace. Why VW's music is not more in the music hall is a complete mystery to me. God knows humanity is in need of it now.

[@nksls21]

Beautiful accompanying images.

[@Pantvalleyartist]

Just been introduced to this sublime music by my son. This invokes the same overpowering feelings of nature's splendours as when I listen to Sebelius's symphonies, particulary nos. 2, 5 and 7. Not being morbid but if I could chose some music at the time of my departure from this life, it would have to include both composers! Hopefully not just yet though as I I'm sure there is more "unknown" music to discover. David - Pant Valley Artist.

[@ScotPeacock]

+Pantvalleyartist Bravo! That's as good a reason as any to stay on this planet :-)

[@Mackeson3]

RVW actually dedicated this symphony to Jean Sibelius.

[@ScotPeacock]

Funny, I've wondered about what music I'd like at my funeral. I've thought about Vaughan Williams, but then again, I'd also like the Indiana Jones theme :-D

[@ScotPeacock]

I think Bax also dedicated his 5th to Sibelius.

[@alexculbreti3169]

based on your comment I suggest the Indiana Jones played by kazoo

[@ScotPeacock]

MsBoldface: I haven't heard The Pilgrim's progress, but you can hear the same 'progress' in the symphony, the struggle from darkness to redemption/nirvana/peace. Saunders2159: I heard a live performance of the 5th in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Museum, which has a large, cathedral-like space. It was such a moving, powerful performance. My friend who came with me said afterwards, "that felt like an empowerment" (a Buddhist spiritual initiation which almost always induces a quiet bliss in the meditator)

[@ScotPeacock]

@YourGreatPotential Thank you. This recording was Vernon Handley conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. I have his box set of the symphonies - phenomenal!

[@EraphaseContemplation]

IT IS A MEMORIAL TO MY FAMILY AND TO THE POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO MANKIND'S BETTERMENT BY ANY ON THE EARTH IN HISTORY ANYWHERE AND OF BEST OF AMERICAS AND ENGLAND'S PAST....IT WAS ALSO THE MUSIC PLAYED WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER PASSED IN 1976 AND I WAS A MUSIC STUDENT ATTENDING WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY. TRULY A SEND OFF MUSIC TO BEYOND THIS WORLD.

[@williamsnowden8186]

As i was saying... the Romanza evokes the true spirit of the English countryside : the rapturous sound of birdsong in a sunlit woodland in Spring ; and when a summer breeze gently sways the rich tapestry of the canopy; and when equinoctial gales cause the leaves to swirl and fall into shifting folds on the woodland floor, before the winter snows reveal the intersecting tracks of the wild. In essence, this glorious sound evokes the spirit of Nan Whins Wood in Cockersdale, my spiritual home.

[@ScotPeacock]

For me it evokes the Westcountry, particularly Somerset and its soft glowy light.

[@ScotPeacock]

@djohnnyf You have hit the nail right on the head - and so eloquently put! I find this work a very personal and emotional piece. Right from the beginning there is a disquiet underneath the surface serenity. The whole symphony is a search to find real peace, true nirvana. And it's not until the final chord that he finds it. After all the searching and questioning, the symphony finally comes to rest in a softly glowing D major chord that shimmers and fades into infinity.

[@benbisley]

Beautiful; thanks. I love the photo of Glastonbury Tor.

[@alanrobertandrews6493]

If a peace touches one's Soul this does it for me, Bye for now love Alan 👨‍🏫️

[@ScotPeacock]

Thank you for your appreciative comments. To be so aware of this beauty at 16 is an incredible display of creative sensibilities. I am not being patronising when I say that. When I was 16 I was aware of music in terms or rock, synth, or the Star Wars soundtrack. I didn;t get into Vaughan Williams until much later. Go for it :-)

[@caroline20853]

Hi 1970SWP (sorry, I don't know your name!). Thank you for letting me know, I will enjoy listening to this epic piece once again. Apparently, many of the works he wrote during his involvement with his personal assistant, Ursula, (who became his second wife) were inspired by his deep feeling for her - he began work on this symphony in the same year that they got together. This is music written by someone in love. The picture of the Somerset field is lovely, thank you! Caroline

[@ScotPeacock]

jlmusicfan: These sublime moments are indeed rare. Thank you for sharing that memory :-)

[@terrymiller99]

The supreme English composer ! One of his finest movements.

[@ScotPeacock]

Hi David. Glad you are getting more and more from this amazing and, I believe, under-rated composer. The 5th comes from somewhere else. It is not from this world :-)

[@alancat2705]

I love RVW's music to bits !...he's the father of the neo-English revival based on the English folk song ,of which borrowed heavily but truly English and lit the path for others to follow ; Butterworth ,Holst , Gurney ...breaking away from the Germanic schooling which was behind the music in Europe and part of the R.C.M's forte at that time under Hubert Parry and Villiers -Stanford to name a few .....it became purely English in it's own right !....beautiful music !.

[@ScotPeacock]

+joxer cat Yes, I agree. He seems to capture an 'otherness' that I find unique in the glow of the English landscape, particularly in the south west. It does not describe Scotland or Wales, but England! I'm Scottish, so why do I respond to this (he asks with his tongue slightly in his cheek)? This music has a spiritual glow, like the westcountry that inspired him. It goes deep. VW captures a shimmering vision that only ever existed in our imagination, in our mind's eye. But that does not makes them less real. I think VW, with the stroke of a great painter (to mix metaphors), bathes his symphonies in an inner light. This is music of yearning, revelation and peace; and conversely, some of his other work reveals the deepest hells of our psyche. He gives both our angels and demons the most eloquent, truthful and, above all, beautiful voices.

[@ScotPeacock]

Thank you. You're very welcome. This is a stunning recording, isn't it. The late vernon Handley conducted. I think he got RVW right on the button. His complete cycle of symphonies with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic are consistenly excellent and some recordings are the finest there is. And it's only £15 on Amazon. Bargain. If you want to hear the complete recording of the 5th, I have uploaded the entire symphony in one of my playlists.

[@caroline20853]

I look forward to the re-posting! Yes, truly miraculous. For me, it is synonymous with the south-west of England, where I come from, so I am probably biased! Wonderful V-W.

[@ScotPeacock]

Hi Caroline, my name is Scot. It's a pleasure to meet you :-) Yes, this music comes from a lot of love, but concern too - passion and compassion together !

[@CravenBC24]

I don't think anyone has yet mentioned the connection between this symphony, and especially this movement, to the composer's opera ("morality", he called it) The Pilgrim's Progress, based on Bunyan's book, but re-naming Christian as Pilgrim to make it more universal. Listen to the opera and see how this music is given a further spiritual dimension.

[@fildowns]

from 2:30, probably the most wonderful 90 seconds you can give your ears known to mankind.

[@oprah58]

hi scot i salute you i am a massive fan of wraith vaughn williams and roma is one if not my most favorite mozart move over great choice great taste my friend

[@YourGreatPotential]

@1970SWP: Oh, I did see your reply now. So cool, as I will be getting this for X-mas this week, along with 29 other wonderful VW CDs on the EMI label. I'm thrilled! Thanks again for posting.

[@yourforte]

Beautiful modal harmonies.

[@thesoundengine]

What a piece! I think I may do a synthesised version of this, but nothing beats moving air and acoustic instruments.

[@pattomuso]

Divine....as is his Lark Ascending

[@stephennicolay1940]

Beyond beauty

[@okcmaestro83]

makes me want to visit Europe before I die !

[@ScotPeacock]

You're welcome. I love the westcountry and that special glow in the lands around Somerset :-)

[@brit1066]

What more can a mere human being say about this awesome piece of music. VW was, without a doubt, one of the greatest composers of all time. I LOVE Brahms, and many other composers but VW has a unique ability where he takes the best of nature and mankind and transforms it into an unbelievably beautiful gift that he has given to his fellow man. I have to stop to go and find a Kleenex to wipe away the tears of joy and peace and pure contentment. No god or religion can compare to the music of the great VW.

[@ScotPeacock]

That is such a beautiful response. Go find that Kleenex. This music transforms us. It shows us a brief, shimmering glimpse of some other place. We are taken somewhere else.

[@brit1066]

Thank you.

[@ScotPeacock]

Thank you, too :)

[@ScotPeacock]

Hi Ecurb, thanks for your comment. I love talking about this piece of music. There is so much within it.