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Choral Expressions of Wartime Experience by Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst Daniel Galbreath Department of Music Introduction The early 20th Century: World Wars and the “British Renaissance” Gustav Holst and Vaughan Williams Premise of Project Format of each section http://www.rvwsociety.com/bio_expanded.html Gustav Holst: Biographical Information 1874 – 1934 Taught at St. Paul’s and James Allen’s Girls’ Schools, Morley College for Working Men and Women Roles during World War I Teaching YMCA Music Director, beginning 12 days before Armistice, in Salonica (Thessalonica), Greece & Constantinople (Instanbul), Turkey Composing Ode to Death Importance of music during wartime Teaching: “September 24 Monday Morley classes (raid) September 25 Tuesday (raid) no class October 1 Monday raid—harmony class” -from Holst’s notebook Organizing festivals at home and abroad “‘Tomorrow morning we have Musical Competitions for the whole of the Army of the Black Sea. Some of the competitors are coming a thousand miles. We have bands, choirs, violinists, pianists, and singers coming from as far away as Batoum and Baku….’” -William Vowels, quoting Holst Composing Ode to Death, cont. Losses in WWI: Dedication of Ode to Death Dedicated to composer Cecil Coles and “to others” Firsthand experience of remnants of war: “[we] had to cross the Struma Valley, where so much fighting took place….[we were] jumping over trenches [and] avoiding—or not avoiding—barbed wire, exploring dug outs and gun emplacements….” http://www.last.fm/music/Gustav+Holst/+images/34987347 Text setting in Ode to Death Symbolism of Holst’s spirituality Concept of death: “I had one beautiful experience which was repeated two nights later. I felt I was sinking so low that I couldn’t go much further and remain on earth. As I have always expected, it was a lovely feeling.” -1932 letter to Vaughan Williams Buddhism and detachment: “Gustav Holst’s religious ideas were based on Buddhism, and he believed in detachment from love and hate, pleasure and pain…. It coloured his whole life and his music.” -Matthias von Holst (brother to Gustav) in Music and Letters Text setting in Ode to Death, cont. Death as descending figures: Opening Ostinato Climactic descending line Text setting in Ode to Death, cont. Depictions of Buddhist detachment Tonic, as grounding force, ambiguous throughout (opening, prev. slide) Choral entrances staggered, unifying in non-being of death Ralph Vaughan Williams: Biographical Information 1872 – 1958 Studied and later taught at the Royal College of Music Roles during World War I Special constabulary of the Metropolitan Police Service Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps Wagon orderly, ambulance of Royal Garrison Artillery Roles during World War II Volunteer firefighter Composing music for special events people.famouswhy.com/ralph_vaughan_williams/ Composing Dona Nobis Pacem Spiritual ideas motivating the Dona Nobis Pacem Ursula Vaughan Williams and “Cheerful agnosticism” Transcendentalism and Walt Whitman Whitman’s poetry spoke to “the ability of the soul to transcend death, and it was the promise of release that would speak also to Vaughan Williams….[Whitman’s poetry] was resonant and new, free from the taint of a Christianity that seemed outmoded and intellectually compromised,” -essayist Byron Adams Composing Dona Nobis Pacem, cont. Role of music in wartime Many duties similar to Holst’s in terms of organizing festivals Music’s nationalistic potential: “musician cannot divorce music from real life” - letter to Holst Distaste for musical propaganda Works written in support of England during WWII Six Songs to be Sung in a Time of War “Song for Thanksgiving” England, my England Dona Nobis Pacem http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2007/mar/09/buildingaclassicalmusiclib2 Text Setting in Dona Nobis Pacem Question of no war versus war to bring peace Support for war effort & sacrifice “Don’t talk about the ‘wretched’ war—it is wretched—but if we look on it merely as a bore we shan’t push through with it—as we’ve got to do….” -Letter to friend Iris Lemare “I’ve indeed longed to be home in many ways during the last months—but in other ways I should not like to come home for good till everything is over, or in some other normal way.” -Letter to Holst Text Setting in Dona Nobis Pacem, cont. Central theme developed in piece: “questioning theme” Opening theme Fragmentation in “Beat! Beat! Drums! Text Setting in Dona Nobis Pacem, cont. Twisted upon itself in “Reconciliation” Reconstituted in finale Conclusion Choral works as expressions of opinions and experiences in the World Wars Differences in thoughts and experiences Similarities in thoughts and experiences http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6457366