William Walton : Spitfire Prelude and Fugue. Video clips.

[@Trek001]

I had the chance, some years ago, of flying in one of the two seater examples in the UK. The package I had "booked" was a combat patrol over the White Cliffs of Dover before heading back to the airfield. I had mentioned to the pilot that my elderly (now sadly passed away) Grandmother was watching me from below and had served in WW2 in the Army but had had a long association with the RAF with her husband having served in it too. He had already taken the controls back from me as we had been heading back, but he brought the old girl low over the cliffs and the intercom clicked and he simply said "Your plane, sir" and allowed me to do several level passes over her before a full power screaming run with a climb and a victory roll before he retook the controls and landed. It was not a long time and I doubt I shall ever do it again, but I can honestly say that I have piloted a Spitfire and that, ladies and gentlemen, is frankly awesome

[@Bruce-1956]

I envy you. Fantastic.

[@clementpoon120]

Even after 80 years the spitfire still looks majestic.

[@petertaylor3600]

Doesn't it, though?

[@俺の血は電池式]

I think so too, although my country was axis power.

[@brendonrutherford5118]

Your comment is so apt indeed, further you could not be more correct!! It's ironic but she never, never looks old fashioned nor out of date but just looks superb & keeps going as she was originally designed to do so!! She fought so valiantly to help hold the "Thin Blue Line" as Britain in September of 1940 stood all alone against the incoming Nazi hordes!! This graceful & superb flying machine will without a doubt live forever together with the young men of the time who will always be remembered as "The Few" who stood up to & against the sheer evil that Hitler represented!!

[@carolinehowell5203]

I have had the privilege of flying in a Spitfire half a dozen times. It is an incredibly poignant experience, thinking about the young men, not much more than boys who flew these aeroplanes as weapons of war. It is also so exciting that you are on a high for weeks afterwards. Walton’s music encapsulates both the spirit of our allied airman and the heart of the Supermarine Spitfire. This piece of music is as iconic as the aeroplane it is named after. I love the machine and I love Walton’s tribute to the most beautiful plane ever built. NB Thank heavens Mitchell’s preferred name ‘Shrew’ was rejected and Spitfire chosen instead.

[@robleary3353]

Don't forget too, a lot of them didn't even have a drivers licence or had voted in an election!. Lest we forget.

[@BlackAce-zr2ms]

Flew in 2 twin seat Spitfires in 2017 and 2018, ultimate dream come true....

[@christophernewman9865]

My mum who was of that generation; said "The Nazis were evil." and there was something in her voice and the old movie and news clips about them that made me aware she was right. So I do not forget "The Few". This music honors them and I am grateful.

[@davidharris2844]

It's very hard to find any justification for a movement which espouses genocide, so I would have to agree with your mum. Having said that, I dare say some of its members were just mindless and easily lead.

[@christophernewman9865]

Yes, and that mindlessness was part of the evil.

[@nickygreen4072]

Stick to the music please. My German mum came to the UK to fill nursing vacancies in Scotland, she married and renounced her German citizenship. All her family were killed by Bomber Harris’ “evil” and unjust bombing of Dresden.

[@Bapaume67]

As an Englishman who has lived in Germany for eight years and who loves Germany I can appreciate what you write.

[@Bruce-1956]

​@@nickygreen4072of course the Germans never 'unjustly ' bombed anybody, Warsaw, Rotterdam, Hull, Clydebank, Portsmouth, Guernica, Coventry, etc etc. I'm Dutch so don't start about Dresden, think of the 6 million Jews that is 'unjustified', think of the 70000 British civilians who died in 'unjustified' in WW2. The Germans and Japanese deserved everything they got.

[@colfer222]

Just look at those ladies building these wonderful machines...history i'm proud of...

[@JohnnieAshton]

Be proud, Winnie Sugden, wonderful woman that I worked with back in the early 1970s, didn't work on Spits, but she worked on Lancaster Bombers, and was so unassuming about it, to her she was 'just doing her bit, for the War effort'. True patriots😍🤩🤣

[@FifthContinentMusic]

Superb video. Walton's music is simply sublime to put it mildly.

[@kohl57]

Outstanding! The Machine, the Music and the Men summon up The Best of British.

[@alisonlee3314]

4 years on from your comment.....We are lost 😥

[@janetbh1514]

How right you are Alison

[@alanclark4255]

​@@janetbh1514even more so now

[@alanclark4255]

It's a downright betrayal of those heroic young men and women

[@petertaylor3600]

Poetry in Motion. Almost in tears when I look at this footage and think of the First of the Few who laid down their lives, some teenage boys.

[@alanclark4255]

Actually I'm in tears. Great comment

[@Bruce-1956]

Which other plane has it's own majestic music. God bless these young men.

[@andyhowlett2231]

Walton was a master at this type of 'imperial' music. He had the knack of condensing pride and grandeur into musical notes. Just listen to 'Orb & Sceptre', Crown Imperial' and 'Richard III'. Also his deeply moving 'Battle of Britain' main theme.

[@FatSwede]

much more convincing than Elgar!

[@paulputnam8211]

In my humble opinion Walton is Britains foremost 20th century composer.

[@gregorypalmer5403]

He knew melody AND counterpoint

[@gregorypalmer5403]

@@paulputnam8211 Well, Britain had so many fine ones in the 20th, I say "None BETTER" about em all. Delius, York Bowen, Heseltine, Quilter, Walton, what a group !

[@Julia-bn1ps]

When I was at grammar school 1971-8, our music teacher played Crown Imperial on the grand piano from time to time as we arrived and departed from Assembly.

[@BassistPaul]

Fabulous composer - a hero to me.

[@buffallobill007]

Absolutely Wonderful !! The pride of British Aviation !!

[@raymondyee2008]

Damn fitting. With "Spitfire Prelude" you'd definitely find the feels, and oh let's not forget there was a Singaporean who flew Spitfires with the RAF during the War (Tan Kay Hai).

[@ContentJapaneseMaples-gk8ji]

There were pilots from all over the world in the RAF. The Polish squadron were particularly successful.

[@alanfollett6242]

Bloody wonderful music, and, of course, editing! Oh, we Yanks had our iconic WWII fighters too, P-38, -47, -51, but nothing quite approaches the Spitfire as a symbol of the crucial defense of Western civilization against its greatest internal threat. I regret that I've only seen Spitfires pickled in museums.

[@51WCDodge]

You'd have loved a performance at Headcorn Airfiled Kent then. Live orcestra, with a Spitfire and Mustang doing low level beat ups all the way through.

[@jonathanpinckney9227]

My personal favorite is that P-40.

[@desallen2174]

What powered the P-51? It changed it from an underpowered failure into a world beater.

[@guyharrison4644]

masterfull piece of music...

[@rovercoupe7104]

Ending it with a victory roll, superb. M.

[@garywoollard810]

Brings tears to your eyes

[@alanclark4255]

Me too

[@Julia-bn1ps]

Beautiful editing of clips to score.

[@BlueStarCadet08]

Oh, this video is going in my favo(u)rites playlist straightaway

[@edwardbarnes2702]

Fantastic, the slow movement of the orchestra with the spitfire in the background, sublime says it all🤓

[@malena3669]

Fantastic video, long live the working women! ☆incurrence in all areas of work! ☆hallelujah!☆☆☆☆☆Thanks thanks❤❗️

[@davidharris2844]

Pleasure.

[@malacca1951]

Wonderful video! I once met and spoke to William Walton - I'm a musician. And I have a PPL so this video links my two main interests SO well !

[@angelacooper2661]

I am an amateur string player in an orchestra and possess perfect pitch. Walton was the same age as my Grandad Cooper- both named William, both born in 1902 and died less than a year apart. I like heart on sleeve music such as this. What a phenomenal bass line with major sixth chords everywhere!

[@WolfikCZ]

what a majestetic Cantus Firmus! And so long it breaks all the rules. And after that little militaristic opening comes beautiful peaceful sequence beautiful ! THANK YOU WILLIAM

[@ovekarlsson5996]

Myth or reality, the Spitfire to me seems to have encapsulated the whole of WW2 into a struggle ( in right so) between the good and the evil. The striking good looks of the aircraft (the hero - Spitfire) makes it even so a timeless contest between the dragon and the prince (here representing the civilized world). William Waltons music just seems to amplify that notion, and in a superb way. Please excuse me for my lack of proper english expression. English is not my mother tongue. I am just a humble scandinavian viking 🙂

[@EmmEss2904]

I’m 86 and therefore I’m a child of the War. It was there, in the sky above me. This was so emotional to watch….

[@meertenwelleman6249]

Great footage of the factory girls! Women's lib started there!

[@wimgrundyearth5753]

Gosh! I'm in tears!

[@alanclark4255]

Me too

[@paulputnam8211]

Walton on top form. The sound of the Merlin engine can, however, bring a lump to the throat. Combine the two & this music & film is just sublime.

[@gazzgazeer]

One of the Best

[@amarpreetsingh7066]

Grateful thanks....old chap

[@davidharris2844]

Pleasure, glad you enjoyed it.

[@plumjam]

Makes a grown man want to bag a couple of 109s before banking gently round and back into the sun-kissed arms of a ruddy-cheeked land girl.

[@davidharris2844]

I like the image of the ruddy-cheeked land girl. Throw in a pint of nut brown ale and you'd really hit the spot.

[@rovercoupe7104]

Don't let the lack of a Spitfire stop you. M.

[@Insperato62]

Gosh!

[@carolinehowell5203]

@@davidharris2844 Make sure it’s a pint of Kent brewed, Spitfire Ale.

[@davidharris2844]

@@carolinehowell5203 Naturally! I lived in north Kent for a few years, in fact just outside Faversham, where it's brewed, so I know it well.

[@MichaelConwayBaker]

Fabulous music, soulful and stirring!

[@alanhodge984]

Stunning!!

[@rovercoupe7104]

That pilot did a superb display. Great video, many thanks. M.

[@davidharris2844]

Pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@rovercoupe7104]

Delightful flying. M.

[@checkmate545]

Stunning video...even better soundtrack - well done :-)

[@davidharris2844]

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@andrewkingham6970]

You can not play music like that and show any other plane than a Spitfire. Fantastic

[@amarpreetsingh7066]

Music at 4.m8ns in ....just awesome

[@kerbal29anen]

My dad was in the Pathfinders of Bomber Command during WW2. I could never have been that brave. I feel like crying when I hear this. I am 67 fer C*******'s sake!

[@DadsRCHangar]

Great video, The spit will always look great as she was inspired by birds. Well apart for the clipped wing version. 😮

[@oddbod8655]

The perfect combination.

[@internetperiodista]

07:21 ““Never in the field of human conflicts have so many owed so much to so few” - Winston Churchill in the aftermath of Battle of Britain, as he addressed in the House of Commons on August 20, 1940

[@garyhiggins6718]

This is a tribute to the Spitfire, much as I love it, I also want an equally brilliant piece of music for the Hawker Hurricane! Please?

[@eberhardxxx]

Wunderbares Video.

[@ronawarren6274]

Sir William Walton is a relative on my late father's side. I am now doing my family tree on my father's side.

[@billhuber2964]

SPITFIRE , a bloody great plane . i

[@toothpick4649]

My Uncle flew from Aug 40 until 43 shot down and a P.O.W a Boxing champion with the R,A,F. and just before he died two thugs beat him up and stole his watch that he wore all through the Battle of Britain I would like to have seen them try that when he was young... P.S he said they spoke a foreign accent..

[@vincentlefebvre9255]

There will be place in hell for these thugs.

[@robleary3353]

Lest we forget!. the pilots, ground crews, ferry pilots bringing in new or repaired aircraft and those striving in the factories to produce them!.

[@gavador9234]

The spitfire is more than just an aircraft.

[@andreedowns4561]

WHEN A MINUTE ,MEANT A MINUTE❤😊

[@mothmagic1]

The backdrop of the squadron take off looks like Duxford and it has hardly changed.

[@waynejones3870]

Brave men an example to us all.

[@desallen2174]

David, to complete the picture you may wish to consider including the following suggestions in the video. Hurricanes, who generally took on the bombers, whilst the Spitfires tackled the German fighters. Chain Home radar stations that scrambled and then guided the Spitfires and Hurricanes to intercept the incoming raids. The Observer Corps who reported sightings overland. Initially our radar only worked over the sea. I could go on to mention the heroes in the Emergency Services who tackled the initial blitz which lasted for 57 nights. Thank you anyway. Love Walton's music and your video.

[@davidharris2844]

Hi Des, yes, I pretty much stuck to the script on this one. My uncle actually flew Hurricanes in the Burma Campaign - very much a forgotten part of the war. Sadly he was lost in action, as were so many others.

[@paulputnam8211]

This was, of course, written to accompany the film 'The First of The Few' (1942) starring Leslie Howard (as R.J.Mitchell) & David Niven. Charting the development of the Spitfire & Mitchell's early death it really is a 'must see' movie if you like military history.

[@theaviator3863]

As long as you realise there were a few factual errors in the film

[@paulputnam8211]

@@theaviator3863 Of course. Factual errors creep into most films of this sort. The recent "Darkest Hour" movie contains several historical errors but, like this movie, remains true to the general story & is worth of the accolades awarded.

[@johnwilletts3984]

Perhaps one of the greatest components of that aircrafts fame, was its name. Before the aircraft, the Royal Navy had used the name HMS Spitfire for several small ships. Originally a Spanish Treasure Ship in the 16th century, captured by the British and renamed Shitsilver!

[@MDzmitry]

If memory serves, the Spitfire was originally to be called "Shrew". God, am I glad they changed the name

[@desallen2174]

David, thinking of your uncle today especially, as I listen to Walton's brilliant tribute. Reason being I just discovered the RAF Museum have saved Arthur Scarf's Victoria Cross, won in the Far East, for the nation.

[@davidharris2844]

Thanks for your comment and your kind thoughts Des. I've just read about Arthur Scarf's exploits - a brave man - a sad ending.

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

repeat please!

[@violinstar5948]

Those Young Men jumping into those Spitfires so young in their Handsome Spitfires they had Balls! We need this kind of Supermen to Lead Britain and move away from today’s selfish generation.

[@Acc-eh8pp]

Romantic aircraft

[@louisvonbeethoven]

Sucks to be you Mr. Messerschmitt, doesn't it? Hey, is that Wagner's Fw-190 Overture I hear? No. It isn't. 'Null said.

[@DavidOfosuAppiah]

Classic Timeless Anthem ,My Maternal And Paternal Grandparents fought On The Side Of The British Commonwealth .

[@TheFowler99]

after seeing the production line.all i can say is never under rate the power of womanhood

[@davidharris2844]

A large number of women also worked for the Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. They were responsible for ferrying new fighter and bomber planes to their bases, as well as flying transport aircraft and some air ambulances. As you say never underestimate the power of womanhood, or indeed of the human spirit.

[@blusky7072]

David Harris yes they stepped up to the plate and got the job done! If it wasn’t for them, the allies might have lost the war!

[@danieldand7639]

I know these Spits but that was a very Long time ago

[@desallen2174]

Wow, watching these mostly young girls riveting the parts of the Spitfire shames me. I have been effusive in my praise of the pilots, the controllers, Dowding and Park. Not to mention the ground crew and the Observer Corps. How could I forget the contribution they made.

[@rovercoupe7104]

I think the women making Spitfires are adorable. M.

[@vickywilliams8320]

Some songs and music seem to hit me and make me cry. I'm crying like an idiot.

[@MePeterNicholls]

Be definitely had some homage to Elgar in places

[@51WCDodge]

Try hearing this whilst a Spit and Mustang beat the audience up from about 50 feet! Glourious!

[@Mausgras1]

The Queen is dead. God save the King.

[@filipjandus4537]

Quite bizzar music.

[@compaq609]

Pity he didn't do the same for the Hurricane which really won the Battle of Britain.

[@normannokes9513]

We could have been acutely short of fighters during this higher crtitical period relying on Spitfire production. Fortunately Handley Page filled the deficit. The film featured the history of the Spitfire producing the inspiring music.

[@philwragg9756]

they both played a roll!!

[@garywoollard810]

And god bless RJ Mitchell.

[@des_smith7658]

Weren't we great

[@amarpreetsingh7066]

5.11...........

[@simontaylor2319]

Pity het didn't finish with a repeat of the Prelude in slow tempo

[@garywoollard4255]

We are forgetting one thing RJ MITCHELL

[@grandirensemble]

l'oiseaux de guerre, prêt à défendre sa patrie

[@KENACT1]

All that heavy orchestration. I can't tell if the Queen is being crowned or getting married.

[@colfer222]

Gladiators of the sky...r.i.p.