Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony

E139751

Vaughan Williams' *A Sea Symphony* is a large-scale choral-orchestral work that sets Walt Whitman’s sea-themed poetry to music, renowned for its expansive, evocative depiction of the ocean and human exploration.

Try in SPARQL Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

All labels observed (3)

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf choral symphony
choral-orchestral work
symphony
approximateDuration about 70 minutes
basedOn Leaves of Grass
catalogueNumber VWV 45 (commonly used thematic catalogue reference)
composer Ralph Vaughan Williams
compositionEndDate 1909
compositionStartDate circa 1903
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
genre choral music
classical music
orchestral music
influencedBy English choral tradition
Gustav Holst
surface form: Gustav Holst (friendship and musical milieu)

Romantic symphonic writing
instrumentation large orchestra
key D major
language English
movement I. A Song for All Seas, All Ships
II. On the Beach at Night, Alone
III. Scherzo: The Waves
IV. The Explorers
notableFeature expansive depiction of the ocean
integration of Whitman’s poetry with symphonic form
one of the earliest symphonies to use chorus throughout
notablePoemUsed I. A Song for All Seas, All Ships
surface form: A Song for All Seas, All Ships

After the Sea-Ship
On the Beach at Night Alone
The Explorers
numberOfMovements 4
opusNumber Symphony No. 1
orderInComposerSymphonies first symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams
premiereConductor Ralph Vaughan Williams
premiereDate 1910-10-12
premiereFestival Leeds Festival
premierePlace Leeds
surface form: Leeds, England
publisher Stainer & Bell
style early 20th-century English music
late-Romantic
subjectMatter human exploration
spiritual journey
the sea
textAuthor Walt Whitman
textSource Poems by Walt Whitman about the sea
vocalForces baritone soloist
mixed chorus
soprano soloist

Referenced by (4)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Westminster Symphonic Choir repertoireIncludes Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony
Ralph Vaughan Williams notableWork Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony
this entity surface form: A Sea Symphony
Hugh the Drover followsWork Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony
this entity surface form: A Sea Symphony
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra notableRecording Vaughan Williams Sea Symphony
this entity surface form: Vaughan Williams: A Sea Symphony