Vaughan Williams and his Circle: Kitty Whately & William Vann

The Music

Ralph Vaughan Williams’ long and varied career is beautifully represented by these songs, dating from 1908 until the last year of his life, 50 years later. The lyrical, sometimes melancholy poetry of two women are among the inspirations: his niece Fredegond Shove, and his second wife Ursula.

Elizabeth Maconchy’s songs range from the delicate to the pastoral to the deeply disconcerting, especially in the enigmatic ‘The Woodspurge’. Rebecca Clarke’s famous ‘The Sealman’, meanwhile, is downright terrifying. It keeps company with three earlier songs, evocative settings of translations from Chinese poetry. Grace Williams, in her comfort zone of music about the sea, sets John Gay’s poem Black-Eyed Susan.

The Performers

Mezzo-soprano Kitty Whately and pianist William Vann are both well-known for curating fascinating programmes, often featuring lesser-known works. This intriguing sequence of songs is a perfect example.