''An Oxford Elegy'' is a work for narrator, small mixed chorus and small orchestra, written by Ralph Vaughan Williams between 1947 and 1949. It uses portions of two poems by

Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold (24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888) was an English poet and cultural critic who worked as an inspector of schools. He was the son of Thomas Arnold, the celebrated headmaster of Rugby School, and brother to both Tom Arnold, lit ...

, " The Scholar Gipsy" and " Thyrsis". The first performance took place privately, whilst the public premiere took place in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in June 1952, with

Steuart Wilson Sir James Steuart Wilson (21 July 1889 – 18 December 1966) was an English singer, known for tenor roles in oratorios and concerts in the first half of the 20th century. After the Second World War he was an administrator for several organ ...

as the speaker and Bernard Rose conductor. All his life, Vaughan Williams wanted to create an opera from Arnold's ''Scholar Gipsy''. As early as 1901, he had sketched a tune that eventually found its way into the later work. In an unusual move, he employed a narrator to deliver the text. The chorus generally sings wordlessly, only occasionally declaiming portions of the text to echo the speaker. Vaughan Williams did not usually write music of melancholy nostalgia, but the subject matter makes such an approach necessary. The piece does have a subtle shift to resignation and even acceptance at the end. The work as a whole is a loving and ruminative evocation of Arnold's time and place. Hugh Ottaway has characterised the work as "pastoral" in nature. Peter Pirie has postulated that this work is Vaughan Williams' homage to his friend and fellow-composer

Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...

, and noted its aesthetic affinity with ''

Flos Campi ''Flos Campi'': suite for solo viola, small chorus and small orchestra is a composition by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, completed in 1925. Its title is Latin for "flower of the field". It is neither a concerto nor a choral piec ...

''. A typical performance usually lasts 20–25 minutes.

Recordings

* HMV ASD 2487: John Westbrook (speaker); King's College Choir; Jacques Orchestra; Sir

David Willcocks Sir David Valentine Willcocks, (30 December 1919 – 17 September 2015) was a British choral conductor, organist, composer and music administrator. He was particularly well known for his association with the Choir of King's College, Cambr ...

(first recording) * Centaur CRC 2299: Gerard Killebrew (speaker); Chorus Civitas (orchestra and chorus); Robert Taylor, conductor * Nimbus Records NI 5166: Jack May (speaker); Christ Church Cathedral Choir; English String Orchestra;

Stephen Darlington Stephen Mark Darlington (born 21 September 1952) is a British choral director and conductor, and president of the Royal College of Organists from 1999–2001. Darlington attended King's School, Worcester. Then during the early 1970s, he was o ...

, conductor * Naxos 8.573426:

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor and activist. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969 and has appeared in many West End theatre ...

, (speaker); City of London Choir;

London Mozart Players London Mozart Players (LMP) are a British chamber orchestra founded in 1949. LMP are the longest-established chamber orchestra in the United Kingdom. Since 1989, the orchestra has been Resident Orchestra at Fairfield Halls, Croydon. History B ...

;

Hilary Davan Wetton Hilary John Davan Wetton (born 23 December 1943) is a British conductor. Biography Hilary Davan Wetton was educated at Westminster School and Oxford University. He has married three times, in 1964 to Elizabeth Tayler and in 1989 to Alison Kell ...

, conductor * Signum SIGCD557:

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English film, television and voice actor, director, narrator and writer. He was twice nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in ''A Room with a View'' (19 ...

, (speaker); Tenebrae Choir; Aurora Orchestra;

Nigel Short Nigel David Short (born 1 June 1965) is an English chess grandmaster, columnist, coach, and commentator, who is the vice-president of FIDE since October 2018. Short earned the Grandmaster title at the age of 19, and was ranked third in the ...

, conductor

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oxford Elegy, An Compositions by Ralph Vaughan Williams 1949 compositions Music in Oxford Poetry by Matthew Arnold Compositions with a narrator Funerary and memorial compositions