• Symphony no.1 "A Sea Symphony" (1903 - 9)

• Symphony no.2 "A London Symphony" (1912 - 3)

• Symphony no.3 "A Pastoral Symphony" (1918 - 21)

• Symphony no.4 in F minor (1931 - 4)

• Symphony no.5 in D (1938 - 43)

• Symphony no.6 in E minor (1944 - 7)

• Symphony no.7 "Sinfonia Antartica" (1949 - 52)

• Symphony no.8 in D minor (1953 - 5)

• Symphony no.9 in E minor (1956 - 7)

Background Information

The Sea Symphony was written for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus and orchestra. It consists of a setting of words by American poet Walt Whitman, of whom Vaughan Williams was an admirer.

The original manuscript of the 2nd Symphony was lost when it was sent to Germany just before the outbreak of the 1st World War. It was later reconstructed from the soloists parts and revised in 1920, together with a dedication to George Butterworth : a close friend of the composer who was tragically killed during the First World War.

The 7th symphony was originally named Sinfonia Antarctica, but changed to a fully Italian name for consistency. It was based on music written for the film "Scott of the Antarctic", and includes parts for an Organ, wordless female chorus and wind machine.

Click here to view more background information on RVW's symphonies.