Scherzo alla Marcia

Ralph Vaughan Williams

This work is the second movement from the Symphony No. 8 in D Minor.

General Info

Year: 1956
Duration: c. 3:50
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - Rental

Instrumentation

C Piccolo
Flute
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II-III (III optional)
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
Horn in F I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Trombone I-II-III

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Light, witty, and brief, Vaughan Williams’ Scherzo alla Marcia could be used to balance a more serious or lengthy work in the concert program. It is deceptively difficult; Vaughan Williams’s contrapunctal approach obscures the downbeat, and performers may find themselves playing what feels right rather than what is actually written. It is worthwhile to draw attention to the humorously abrupt ending in the program notes, because Vaughan Williams’ abstraction of time may catch audiences by surprise.

- Program notes from Great Music for Wind Band

Scherzo alla marcia is the second movement of Vaughan Williams’s Symphony No. 8. John Barbirolli conducted the premiere in Manchester, England, in 1956. The first movement is marked Fantasia (Variazioni senza tema). The Scherzo alla marcia is scored only for wind instruments, balancing the following Cavatina, which is for strings alone. The work closes with a bold and percussive Toccata. The Scherzo contains three themes and a fugato section, including a lively trio. Contrapuntal writing permeates the work, reminiscent of the music of his contemporary Paul Hindemith.

- Program Note from Baylor University Wind Ensemble concert program, 23 April 2021

Media

Audio CD: London Philharmonic Orchestra (Adrian Boult, conductor) - 2012

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

East Carolina University (Greenville, N.C.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (William Staub, conductor) - 20 September 2023
Chesapeake Bay Wind Ensemble (Hampton, Va.) (William Garlette, conductor) - 4 March 2023
Rowan University (Glassboro, N.J.) Wind Ensemble (Joseph Higgins, conductor) - 12 December 2022
Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Orchestra (David Baker, conductor) - 3 May 2021
Baylor University (Waco, Tx.) Wind Ensemble (Stephen Heyde, conductor) - 23 April 2021
Central Washington University (Ellensburg) Wind Ensemble (Paul Bain, conductor) - 11 March 2021
Dallas (Tx.) Chamber Wind Ensemble (Reagan Brumley, conductor) - 3 January 2021
Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) Wind Ensemble (Weston Lewis, conductor) - 15 December 2020
University of South Florida (Tampa) Wind Ensemble (Michael Lebrias, conductor) - 20 November 2020
Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.) Wind Ensemble (Thomas Caneva, conductor) - 13 November 2020
Oregon State University (Corvallis) Wind Ensemble (Erik Kar Jun, conductor) - 24 October 2020
University of Miami (Fla.) Frost Wind Ensemble (Robert Carnochan, conductor) - 18 October 2020
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Chamber Winds (Courtney Snyder, conductor) – 1 November 2019
Indiana University (Bloomington) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) – 5 November 2019
Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Ensemble (Mark Scatterday, conductor) – 1 April 2019
Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Mallory Thompson, conductor) – 1 February 2019
Missouri State University (Springfield) Wind Ensemble (Christopher Kelts, conductor) – 23 March 2018 (CBDNA 2018 Southwestern Conference, Houston, Texas)
University of Oregon (Eugene) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) – 25 October 2017
McGill University (Montreal, Que.) Wind Symphony (Ben Kepes, conductor) – 25 January 2017
University of Texas (Austin) Wind Symphony (Scott Hanna, conductor) – 5 October 2016

Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music

Folk Songs from Somerset (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1924/2020)
My Bonny Boy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1924/2020)
Seventeen Come Sunday (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1924/2020)

All Wind Works

Concerto for Bass Tuba (arr. Wick and Chambers) (1954/1992)
Concerto Grosso (arr. Grechesky) (1924)
Concerto in F minor for Tuba and Winds (arr. Hare) (1954/1992)
England's Pleasant Land (arr. Noble) (1938/2017)
English Folk Song Suite. See: Folk Song Suite
English Folk Song Suite (arr. Villanueva) (1924/)
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (arr. Bocook) (1910/2006)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols (arr. Laughlin) (1912/2016/2020)
Fantasia on Greensleeves (arr. Wagner) (1934/2011)
Five English Folk Songs (arr. Feldman) (1913/2009)
Five Variants of "Dives and Lazarus" (arr. Gregson) (1939/2004)
Flourish for Glorious John (orch. Boyd) (1957/1998)
Flourish for Wind Band (1939)
Folk Song Suite (1924/2008)
Folk Songs from Somerset (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1924/2020)
The Golden Vanity (arr. Wagner) (1933/2009)
I Vow to Thee, My Country (as setter; ed. Grechesky) (1921/1988)
Lark Ascending, The (tr. Silvester) (1914/1925/2003)
Linden Lea (arr. Wagner) (1902/2013)
Linden Lea (arr. Stout) (1902/1984)
The Lowlands of Scotland (arr. Daehn) (1912/2006)
March Past of the Kitchen Utensils (arr. Erwin) (1909/2010)
My Bonny Boy (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1924/2020)
Norfolk Rhapsody (tr. Robert O'Brien) (1905)
Norfolk Rhapsody No. 2 in D minor (tr. O'Toole) (1906/2014?)
Overture to "The Wasps" (tr. Frank Hudson) (1909)
Prelude, 49th Parallel (arr. van der Beek) (1960/2018)
Prelude: 49th Parallel (arr. Noble) (1941/2014)
Prelude: 49th Parallel (arr. Winkler) (1941/1960)
Prelude from "49th Parallel" (tr. Osmon) (1941/1960/1987/2002)
Prelude on Three Welsh Hymn Tunes (arr. Curnow) (1954/1982)
Prelude: The New Commonwealth (arr. Grauer) (1940/2006)
A Ralph Vaughan Williams Portrait (arr. Wagner) (2018)
Rhosymedre (tr. Beeler) (1920/1972)
Rhosymedre (tr. Johnston) (1920/2011)
Rhosymedre (tr. Baldwin) (1920/)
The Running Set (arr. Daehn) (1933/2007)
The Running Set (tr. Silvester) (1933)
Scherzo alla Marcia (1956)
Sea Songs (1924)
Sea Songs (arr. Longfield) (1924/2006)
Seventeen Come Sunday (Flex instrumentation) (arr. Huckeby) (1924/2020)
Sine Nomine (arr. Cacavas) (1906/1998)
Sine Nomine (arr. Houseknecht) (1906/1960)
Sine Nomine (arr. Reed) (1906/1976)
Songs of Travel (arr. Patterson) (1901-4)
Three Dorset Songs (arr. Stotter) (1902-1903/2003)
Three Studies in English Folk Song (arr. Harbinson) (1927/1999/2003)
Toccata Marziale (1924)
Toccata Marziale (ed. Battisti) (1924/2005)
Variations for Wind Band (trans. Hunsberger) (1957/1988/1997)
A Vaughan Williams Christmas (arr. Wagner) (1999)
Wassail (arr. Smith)

Resources

Mitchell, Jon Ceander. (2008). Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Wind Works. Galesville, Md.: Meredith Music Publications.
Nicholson, Chad. (2009). ‘’Great Music for Wind Band: A Guide to the Top 100 Works in Grades IV, V, VI.’’ Galesville, MD: Meredith Music Publications. pp 110-111.