An Oxford Elegy
Encyclopedia
An Oxford Elegy is a work for narrator, small mixed chorus and small orchestra, written by Ralph Vaughan Williams
between 1947 and 1949. It uses portions of two poems by Matthew Arnold
, The Scholar Gipsy
and Thyrsis
. The first performance took place privately, whilst the public premiere took place in Oxford
in June 1952, with Steuart Wilson
as the speaker and Bernard Rose conductor.
All his life, Vaughan Williams wanted to create an opera from Arnold's Scholar Gipsy. As early as 1901, he had sketched a tune that eventually found its way into the later work. In an unusual move, he employed a narrator to deliver the text. The chorus generally sings wordlessly, only occasionally declaiming portions of the text to echo the speaker.
Vaughan Williams did not usually write music of melancholy nostalgia, but the subject matter makes such an approach necessary. The piece does have a subtle shift to resignation and even acceptance at the end. The work as a whole is a loving and ruminative evocation of Arnold's time and place. Hugh Ottaway has characterised the work as "pastoral" in nature. Peter Pirie has postulated that this work is Vaughan Williams' homage to his friend and fellow-composer Gustav Holst
, and noted its aesthetic affinity with Flos Campi
.
A typical performance usually lasts 20–25 minutes.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many...
between 1947 and 1949. It uses portions of two poems by Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold
Matthew Arnold was a British poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the famed headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, literary professor, and William Delafield Arnold, novelist and colonial administrator...
, The Scholar Gipsy
The Scholar Gipsy
"The Scholar Gipsy" is a poem by Matthew Arnold, based on a 17th century Oxford story found in Joseph Glanvill's The Vanity of Dogmatizing...
and Thyrsis
Thyrsis
Thyrsis is the title of a poem written by Matthew Arnold in December 1865 to commemorate his friend, the poet Arthur Hugh Clough, who had died in November 1861 aged only 42....
. The first performance took place privately, whilst the public premiere took place in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
in June 1952, with Steuart Wilson
Steuart Wilson
Sir James Steuart Wilson was an English singer, known for tenor roles in oratorios and concerts in the first half of the 20th century....
as the speaker and Bernard Rose conductor.
All his life, Vaughan Williams wanted to create an opera from Arnold's Scholar Gipsy. As early as 1901, he had sketched a tune that eventually found its way into the later work. In an unusual move, he employed a narrator to deliver the text. The chorus generally sings wordlessly, only occasionally declaiming portions of the text to echo the speaker.
Vaughan Williams did not usually write music of melancholy nostalgia, but the subject matter makes such an approach necessary. The piece does have a subtle shift to resignation and even acceptance at the end. The work as a whole is a loving and ruminative evocation of Arnold's time and place. Hugh Ottaway has characterised the work as "pastoral" in nature. Peter Pirie has postulated that this work is Vaughan Williams' homage to his friend and fellow-composer Gustav Holst
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
, and noted its aesthetic affinity with Flos Campi
Flos Campi
Flos Campi: suite for solo viola, small chorus and small orchestra is a composition by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, completed in 1925. Its title is Latin for "flower of the field". It is neither a concerto nor a choral piece, although it prominently features the viola and a...
.
A typical performance usually lasts 20–25 minutes.
Recordings
- HMV ASD 2487: John WestbrookJohn Westbrook (actor)John Westbrook was an English actor.Born in Teignmouth, Devon, John Westbrook worked mainly in theatre and in radio. He also made occasional film and television appearances. His most famous role was as Christopher Gough in Roger Corman's The Tomb of Ligeia...
(speaker); King's College ChoirChoir of King's College, CambridgeThe Choir of King's College, Cambridge is one of today's most accomplished and renowned representatives of the great British choral tradition. It was created by King Henry VI, who founded King's College, Cambridge in 1441, to provide daily singing in his Chapel, which remains the main task of the...
; Jacques Orchestra; Sir David Willcocks (first recording) - Centaur CRC 2299: Gerard Killebrew (speaker); Chorus Civitas (orchestra and chorus); Robert Taylor, conductor
- Nimbus Records NI 5166: Jack MayJack MayJack May was an English actor. Born in Henley-on-Thames, he was educated at Forest School, Walthamstow and after war service with the Royal Indian Navy in India was offered a place at RADA, but he instead went to Merton College, Oxford...
(speaker); Christ Church Cathedral ChoirChrist Church Cathedral, OxfordChrist Church Cathedral is the cathedral of the diocese of Oxford, which consists of the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. It is also, uniquely, the chapel of Christ Church, a college of the University of Oxford.-History:...
; English String Orchestra; Stephen DarlingtonStephen DarlingtonStephen Darlington is a British choral director and conductor, and president of the Royal College of Organists from 1999-2001.During the early 1970s Darlington was organ scholar at Christ Church, Oxford, studying under Simon Preston...
, conductor