Sea Songs

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Ralph Vaughan Williams

General Info

Year: 1924
Duration: c. 4:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Boosey & Hawkes
Cost: Score & Parts - $90.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute & Piccolo
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
E-flat Clarinet I-II
B-flat Clarinet I-II-III-IV
E-flat Alto Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Cornet I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Baritone
Basses
Percussion, 4 players, including:

• Bass Drum
• Cymbals (crash)
• Snare Drum
• Triangle

Errata

The following error is in the SCORE and PART:

• Eb Clarinet, meas. 58: Upper note should be printed C.

Program Notes

Written in 1923 for the following year’s Wembley Exhibition, Sea Songs is a march medley of three well-known sea shanties: Princess Royal, Admiral Benbow, and Portsmouth. Written in typical march form with a trio, it was published simultaneously for brass band and wind band, and was later transcribed by the composer for symphony orchestra. It should be noted that Sea Songs was originally intended to be the final movement of Vaughan Williams’s Folk Song Suite.

- Program Note by Nikk Pilato

Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.

State Ratings

• Texas- IV

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

• Baylor University (Waco, Texas) Wind Ensemble (Hannah Morrison, conductor) – 2 March 2020
• Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) Symphonic Band (Kirk Saville, conductor) – 26 February 2020
• Kent (Ohio) Roosevelt High School Wind Ensemble (John Roebke, conductor) – 23 February 2020
• University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Ensemble (Daniel Cook, conductor) – 18 February 2020
• Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, O.) 9-10 High School Honor Band (Ishbah Cox, conductor) – 15 February 2020
• University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (Chickasha) (Kaleb Benda, conductor) - 18 November 2019
• Parkland College (Champaign, Ill.) Concert Band (Larry Stoner, conductor) - 20 October 2019
• University Heights (Ohio) Symphonic Band (Matthew Salvaggio, conductor) – 20 October 2019
• Johnson City (Tenn.) Community Concert Band (Christian Zembower, conductor) - 7 October 2019
• Golden Gate Park Band (San Francisco, Calif.) (Robert Calonico, conductor) – 16 June 2019
• Kenosha (Wisc.) Pops Concert Band (Craig Gall, conductor)– 12 June 2019
• Treasure Coast Wind Ensemble (Vero Beach, Fla.) (Colbert Page Howell, conductor) – 7 June 2019
• Blythewood (S.C.) High School Concert Band (Quintus Wrighten, conductor) - 16 May 2019
• Highty-Tighties Concert Band (Blacksburg, Va.) (Parker Treuber, conductor) – 5 May 2019
• Lee University (Cleveland, Tenn.) Wind Ensemble (David Holsinger, conductor) – 23 April 2019
• University of Texas (Austin) Orange Concert Band (Jonathan Villela, conductor) – 22 April 2019
• William & Mary University (Williamsburg, Va.) Wind Ensemble (Richard Marcus, conductor) – 29 March 2019
• University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) Red Concert Band (Benjamin Lorenzo, conductor) – 3 March 2019
• Penn State University (University Park) Concert Band (Herbert Payung, conductor) – 4 December 2018

Works for Winds by this Composer

• 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 (1924)
• Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (arr. Bocook) (1910/2006)
• Fantasia on Greensleeves (arr. Wagner) (1934/2011)
• Five Variants of "Dives and Lazarus" (arr. Gregson) (1939/2004)
• Flourish for Glorious John (or. Boyd) (1957/1998)
• Flourish for Wind Band (1939)
• Golden Vanity, The (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)
• March Past of the Kitchen Utensils (arr. Erwin) (1909/2010)
• Norfolk Rhapsody (tr. Robert O'Brien) (1905)
• Overture to "The Wasps" (tr. Frank Hudson) (1909)
• Prelude: 49th Parallel (arr. Noble) (2014)
• 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. by Beeler) (1972)
• Running Set, The (tr. Silvester) (1933)
• Scherzo alla Marcia (1953-5)
• Sea Songs (1925)
• Sea Songs (arr. Longfield) (1925/2006)
• Sine Nomine (arr. Reed) (1976)
• Sine Nomine (arr. Houseknecht) (1906/1960)
• Songs of Travel (arr. Patterson) (1901-4)
• Toccata Marziale (1924)
• Toccata Marziale (ed Battisti) (ed. Battisti) (1924/2005)
• Variations for Wind Band (trans. Hunsberger) (1957/1988/1997)
• Vaughan Williams Christmas, A (arr. Wagner) (1999)
• Wassail (arr. Smith)

Resources

• Pease, Andy. "Sea Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams." Wind Band Literature, 23 May 2018. Web. Accessed 29 May 2018
• Vaughan Williams, R. (1924). Quick March, Sea Songs [score]. Boosey: London.