Walt Whitman's poetry, with its themes of nature and a blend of plain statement with mystical yearnings, was a significant source of inspiration for Vaughan Williams, coinciding with his first folk-song collecting year.
Composition History
Vaughan Williams's 1912 setting of "How Cold the Wind doth Blow" was inspired by hearing a gypsy sing "The Unquiet Grave" at a gypsy encampment in Monkland.
Recording & Production
The chorus for "Lollipop's Song" on this recording includes Albion Records director John Francis, who was promoted from page-turning duties due to a singer's absence.
Performer Biography
Thomas Gould, the violinist on this album, plays a Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin made in 1782.
Composition History
Vaughan Williams's first published work was "Linden Lea," a setting of a poem by William Barnes, published in 1902 on the recommendation of Professor Stanford.
Composer Biography
Ralph Vaughan Williams's earliest surviving song, "Summum bonum," dates from 1891 when he was in his late teens and studying at the Royal College of Music.
Composition History
The comic opera "The Poisoned Kiss" by Vaughan Williams, with a libretto by Evelyn Sharp, is based on Richard Garnett's short story "The Poison Maid" and Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappacini's Daughter."
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