Program Notes

Folk Song Suite

Ralph Vaughan Williams, composer

Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams is recognized as one of the masterpieces of the concert band repertoire. Vaughan Williams, one of the most eminent of contemporary English composers, is known throughout the world for his splendid choral and orchestral works. Like many modern English composers, he found great inspiration in the study of folk music and in the work of early English masters such as Purcell. He made his own the modal harmonies and striking rhythms found in the traditional folks songs of Norfolk and Somerset, but formed an entirely individual style out of these elements. Vaughan Williams’ interest in the wind band has nowhere found more satisfactory expression than in this suite; the score is remarkable for its originality and masterful instrumentation.

—Band Music notes

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