The Cambridge Companion to Vaughan Williams

An icon of British national identity and one of the most widely performed twentieth-century composers Ralph Vaughan Williams has been as much misunderstood as revered; his international impact and enduring influence on areas as diverse as church music film scores and popular music has been insufficiently appreciated. This volume brings together a team of leading scholars examining all areas of the composer''s output from new perspectives and re-evaluating the cultural politics of his lifelong advocacy for the music-making of ordinary people. Surveys of major genres are complemented by chapters exploring such topics as the composer''s relationship with the BBC and his studies with Ravel; uniquely the book also includes specially commissioned interviews with major living composers Peter Maxwell Davies Piers Hellawell Nicola Lefanu and Anthony Payne. The Companion is a vital resource for all those interested in this pivotal figure of modern music.