Vaughan Williams, Ralph: A Sea Symphony (Symphony No. 1). NEW EDITION. Rental
Duration: 67 minutes
For soprano and baritone soloists and SATB choir, with two flutes, piccolo, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, clarinet in E flat, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion, two harps, organ and strings
I. A Song for all Seas, all Ships
II. On the Beach at Night alone
III. (Scherzo) The Waves
IV. The Explorers
Words by Walt Whitman
Conductor’s score and instrumental material
(Vocal scores are available for sale (D47))
(A smaller full score is available for sale (B973))
NEW EDITION 2024
The numerous revisions and fine adjustments made by Vaughan Williams to the music of A Sea Symphony over a long lifetime are faithfully recorded in this benchmark new edition of the work. It draws on invaluable primary sources, including the conducting scores of Sir Adrian Boult and Norman Del Mar, and those in the extensive VW archive in the British Library. While old and new vocal scores remain fully compatible, the full score and instrumental parts replace all previous orchestral material as the definitive performing edition. Two major features are the substitution of trombones for horns in the dramatic opening fanfare, which is the composer’s final and authentic choice of scoring, and in the Scherzo the addition of a substantial organ part taken from his own annotated full score. Details of texture have been clarified and inconsistencies of notation corrected, with the harp parts improved to resolve long-standing difficulties of impractical passagework. Indispensable to choral societies over the years, the composer’s suggested instrumental omissions for performance by smaller orchestras have been preserved, though now more clearly presented. The crisp typography, well-spaced layout and efficient page turns make the parts a pleasure for orchestras to use, and there is generous cueing throughout to streamline the rehearsal process.
This edition is published with the kind support of The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust
Please contact the Hire Library for further details. Alternatively, hire material for this work can be requested through Zinfonia.
This work may also be played by a reduced orchestra, omitting any or all of the following:
Flute 3/Piccolo
Oboe 2
Clarinet in E flat
Bass Clarinet in B flat
Contrabassoon
Harp 2
Organ
The players should be directed to play the cues for the missing instruments which are written into their parts.
If Flute 3/Piccolo is omitted then Flute 2 should play from the part marked Flute 2/Piccolo – Reduced Orchestra.
If Oboe 2 is omitted then Cor Anglais should play from the part marked Cor Anglais – Reduced Orchestra.
If Bass Clarinet is omitted then Bassoon 2 should play from the part marked Bassoon 2 – Reduced Orchestra.
