Recently I have been listening a lot to the piece ‘The lark ascending’ by Vaughn Williams, an English composer who drew great inspiration from English folk music and renaissance music. It is truly one of the most beautiful pieces of classical music I have ever heard. I would recommend seeking it out if you have never heard it before – at a basic level, it is unbelievably evocative of a landscape and of the intended image of the soaring flight of a lark in spring. On another level, it radiates emotion, oscillating between joy, nostalgia, excitement, peace and sorrow. Listening to it with my eyes shut I can see people and places, falling snow, the movement of the clouds and the growth of spring.
If you have an iPod, it is available on iTunes – the version by the Cleveland Sinfonietta is one that you can buy without having to buy an entire album. Another wonderful piece by Vaughn Williams is ‘Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus’. Happy listening.
Hi, I am listening to the music as I reply. Very restful and evocative. I wanted to ask you if I can use your picture of a Lark. Love it in flight. Thanks. Jim