Heavens!
Can it really be a year since the coffin of HM The Queen was laid in state at Westminster Hall, and the biggest queue London ever saw began?
Of course - a few days later - I was there.
To suit the mood, here's a piece that was (albeit transcribed for organ) featured at the funeral:
Divine.
All last week our classical radio stations (BBC Radio 3, Classic FM and Scala Radio) have been celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of the venerable Ralph Vaughan Williams, one of the greatest British composers of the 20th century.
Son of a Welsh vicar, and descendant of both Josiah Wedgewood and Charles Darwin, it was no surprise that he was somewhat of a child prodigy, nor was it unexpected that his constant inquisitivesness led him on a quest to explore and reinterpret the vast tradition of British folk and classical musical history, as well as embracing the "modern".
I adore so many of his magnificent works, and as far as "Sunday Music" goes, there can be very few better ways to chill out than with a collection of his finest...
It's about time this blog had a bit of class.
Ralph Vaughan Williams, OM (12th October 1872 – 26th August 1958)
