A pilgrim's final progress

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8060605.post-38624628548059597052007-10-24T18:43:00.000+01:002007-10-25T08:37:45.280+01:00A pilgrim's final progress<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FPpiWNARTt4/Rx-GKZSN5fI/AAAAAAAACtU/z0kWmkw-XVg/s1600-h/PilgrimsProgress2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124962414115022322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_FPpiWNARTt4/Rx-GKZSN5fI/AAAAAAAACtU/z0kWmkw-XVg/s400/PilgrimsProgress2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Ursula Vaughan Williams died on October 23 2007 aged 96. She married <a href="http://www.rvwsociety.com/biography.html">Ralph Vaughan Williams</a> in 1953, and contributed to several of his later works, including the magical Serenade to Music which sets words from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Merchant_of_Venice">The Merchant of Venice</a>. The photo above was taken at the 1971 sessions for Vaughan William's <a href="http://theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/10/pilgrims-progress-on-internet-radio.html">Pilgrims Progress</a>, and shows Ursula Vaughan Williams on the extreme left. The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,2198334,00.html">Guardian obituary</a> reminds us that, as well as contributing to her husband's work, Ursula Vaughan Williams provided librettos to a veritable who's who of twentieth century composers including <a href="http://www.geraldfinzi.org/?page=about/biography.html">Gerald Finzi</a>, <a href="http://www.oup.co.uk/music/repprom/hoddinott/">Alun Hoddinott</a>, <a href="http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2431&State_2905=2&composerId_2905=734">Herbert Howells</a>, <a href="http://theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/01/walking-with-stravinsky.html">Elisabeth Lutyens</a>, <a href="http://theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2007/03/how-important-is-composers-music.html">Elizabeth Maconchy</a>, <a href="http://www.chesternovello.com/Default.aspx?TabId=2431&State_2905=2&composerId_2905=1057">Anthony Milner</a>, <a href="http://www.sanctuaryclassics.com/index.php?section=4&subsection=1&getArticleId=244">Alan Ridout</a>, <a href="http://www.oup.co.uk/music/repprom/tate/">Phyllis Tate</a> and <a href="http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/composer/composer_main.asp?composerid=2733">Malcolm Williamson. </a> So ends an important chapter in the history of modern music. Although, sadly, it may not be recognised as such everywhere. ... Soft stillness and the night Becomes the touches of harmony. The Merchant of Venice, Act V Here's <a href="http://theovergrownpath.blogspot.com/2006/05/vaughan-williams-chauvinism-john-adams.html">a topical mix</a> of Vaughan Williams and Norman Lebrecht. Photo credit Godfrey McDominic/EMI. Any copyrighted material on these pages is included as "fair use", for the purpose of study, review or critical analysis only, and will be removed at the request of copyright owner(s). Report broken links, missing images and other errors to - overgrownpath at hotmail dot co dot uk<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8060605-3862462854805959705?l=www.overgrownpath.com'/></div>Pliablenoreply@blogger.com3