Symphony No. 9

Stonehenge

Vaughan Williams’ ninth and final symphony was first performed in 1958, at a time when British music was reaching a new phase in its evolution.

This enigmatic symphony remains one of the final monuments of a particular age of composition, and is scored for large orchestra, including three saxophones and a flügel horn.

Originally the work had a programme attached to it, following Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles; notes on the sketches referred to “Wessex Prelude” and “Salisbury”, and two in the second movement are “Stonehenge” and “Tess”. This movement has since been shown to be a direct depiction of Tess’ arrest and execution; and the symphony as a whole ends ambiguously, with the final chords suggesting to some a bleak and cheerless ending and to others that “the light we sought is shining still”.

See Symphony No. 9 live:

Sun 2 November 2008, 3:00pm
Royal Festival Hall, London (find out more)