Haywards Heath offers celebration of Ralph Vaughan Williams

As spokesman Melvyn Walmsley explains: “On Sunday, October 9 St Wilfrid’s Church, Church Road, Haywards Heath presents an evening festival of music by one of England’s best known and loved composers, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958), to celebrate, just a few days early, the 150th anniversary of his birth on October 12.

"Appropriately, that date also happens to be the festival of St Wilfrid of Ripon himself, who brought Christianity to Sussex in the early 680s.

“The music will feature some of the composer’s choral music, his Songs of Travel and Vocalises. Admirers of Vaughan Williams may find it of particular interest that a performance of his Vocalises can be heard. Set for soprano and clarinet, these are wordless duets and rarely performed.

“The festival performers, all of whom have sung or played at the church on several occasions, will include Helen Underwood-Lewis (soprano) and Tony Donovan (clarinet) in the Vocalises, as well as Kathryn James (alto), Stephen Terry (bass-baritone) and the St Wilfrid’s Church Choir. St Wilfrid’s director of music and organist, Nic Robinson, and Andrew Storey will accompany on piano.

“Like Beethoven and Mahler, VW composed nine symphonies, but, influenced significantly by Tudor music and English folk song, his work broke with the predominant influence of the German musical tradition on English music. The Lark Ascending, the Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis, and, used in many churches, The English Hymnal (1906, of which Vaughan Williams was co-compiler), are among his best-known works. His output, though, was large and very varied, from operas to shorter compositions intended for performance by village choirs and musical societies.”

St Wilfrid’s will open at 5.30pm in preparation for choral evensong at 6pm (including anthems and organ music by Vaughan Williams). Refreshments are available at 6.45pm, and the music and songs follow at 7.15pm. Admission is free.