Six Studies in English Folksong – All Classical Research

Vaughan Williams wrote Six Studies in English Folksong in 1926 for cellist May Mukle, who premiered the work with her sister, Anne, at the Scala Theater in London. The premiere was part of the English Folk Dance Society Festival.
- Mukle was also the dedicatee of the work.
These six “studies” in English folksong are not transcritions of the tunes but rather elaborations on them.
1. Adagio “Lovely on the water”
2. Andante sostenuto “Spurn Point”
3. Larghetto “Van Diemen’s Land”
4. Lento “She borrowed some of her mother’s gold”
5. Andante tranquillo “The lady and the dragon”
6. Allegro vivace “As I walked over London Bridge¹
Originally written for cello and piano, Vaughan Williams arranged the piece for several other instruments, including violin, viola, and clarinet.²

Andrew Burn, Essay in accompanying booklet, Vaughan Williams: Chamber Music performed by The Nash Ensemble, Hyperion 67313, 2002, compact disc.
Ralph Vaughan Williams, Six Studies in English Folksong (London: Stainer & Bell, 1927).

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