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Kate Molleson explores what Christmas was like for Ralph Vaughan Williams during World War I, as part of the Royal Army Medical Corps.

鈥淚鈥檝e always loved carols鈥� Vaughan Williams wrote to Cecil Sharp in 1911. Despite being called a 鈥渕ost determined atheist鈥� by Bertrand Russell at University, and in later life 鈥渁 cheerful agnostic鈥�, the composer never lost his love for Christmas. It dated back to childhood memories of singing carols from Stainer and Bramley鈥檚 Christmas Carols New and Old at his home at Leith Hill Place, Surrey. As an adult, his lifelong passion for the Christmas period was demonstrated in his music - the Fantasia on Christmas Carols, On Christmas Night based on Dickens鈥檚 A Christmas Carol, the cantata Hodie and the nativity play The First Nowell. His passion for collecting folk tunes in various counties of England 鈥� armed with a trusty pencil and paper, or at times a phonograph - also led to a plethora of carol settings using these folk tunes, as Vaughan Williams himself said 鈥淓very day some old village singer dies, and with him there probably die half-a-dozen beautiful melodies, which are lost to the world forever: if we would preserve what still remains we must set about it at once.鈥� In this special week of programmes, Kate Molleson explores Vaughan Williams鈥檚 experiences of Christmas across his life alongside some of his best loved pieces, and the music he wrote to celebrate the festive period.

Today, Kate explores what Christmas was like for Ralph Vaughan Williams during World War I, as part of the Royal Army Medical Corps,

Vaughan Williams (arr.)
As Joseph was Walking
Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea
William Vann, director

Vaughan Williams
A London Symphony 鈥� III. Scherzo
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Andrew Manze, conductor

Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
City of London Sinfonia
Richard Hickox, conductor

Vaughan Williams
Symphony 3 - II. Lento
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Sir Adrian Boult, conductor

Trad.
On Christmas Night
Tony Wales, vocals and guitar

Vaughan Williams (arr.)
Sussex Carol
The Chapel Choir of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea
Hugh Rowlands, organ
William Vann, director

Vaughan Williams
The Lark Ascending
Sarah Chang, violin
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Bernard Haitink, conductor

Produced by Sam Philips for 91热爆 Audio Wales and West