Unit information: Heirs and Rebels? Vaughan Williams and Holst in 2013/14

Unit name	Heirs and Rebels? Vaughan Williams and Holst
Unit code	MUSI39007
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Heldt
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Music
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

Close colleagues and friends (albeit not always uncritical of each other), sharing interests in folksong, early music, the development of musical life in Britain, mysticism (albeit of rather different kinds) and socialism, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Gustav Holst were at the centre of crucial developments in British art music just after 1900 - Vaughan Williams increasingly close to the institutional centre of that musical life, Holst in a more marginal position as a music teacher and adult educator. But the musical consequences they drew from seemingly similar perspectives show both obvious parallels and drastic differences (which puzzled the two themselves). In comparing both their careers and their music across different genres and decades, we can trace key ideological battle lines of the 'English Musical Renaissance' (and listen to and analyse and think about a lot of wonderful music).

Intended Learning Outcomes

Successful completion of this unit will enable students to do the following:a. argue effectively and at length (including an ability to cope with complexities and to describe and deploy these effectively);b. display to a high level skills in selecting, applying, interpreting and organising information, including evidence of a high level of bibliographical control;c. describe, evaluate and/or challenge current scholarly thinking;d. situate material within relevant contexts (invoking interdisciplinary contexts where appropriate).

Teaching Information

Weekly 2-hour seminars for the whole cohort (levels I/5 & H/6).

Assessment Information

All the assessment is summative.

• 1x3,000-word essay (50%);
• 1x 2-hour exam (50%).

Both the essay and the exam will demonstrate learning outcomes (1) and (2) as well as (c) and (d), with the essay in particular providing an opportunity for the students to demonstrate learning outcomes (3) and (4) and (a) and (b).

Reading and References

1. Byron Adams & Robin Wells (eds.): Vaughan Williams Essays. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003.
2. Alain Frogley (ed.): Vaughan Williams Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
3. Imogen Holst: ‘The Music of Gustav Holst’ and ‘Holst’s Music Reconsidered’. Oxford 31986.
4. Michael Kennedy: The Works of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 21980.
5. Michael Short: Gustav Holst. The Man and his Music. Oxford, New York 1990.
6. Ursula Vaughan Williams: R.V.W. A Biography of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Oxford: Clarendon, 1964.