History
RVW Trust (1956–2022)
The RVW Trust was established by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1956, two years before his death, with the intention that all future income from the performing rights in his music should benefit fellow composers and future generations. [1] The composer, known for his generosity throughout his life, wanted to ensure this support would continue after his death. [3]
Over its 66-year history, the trust became one of the most significant sources of funding for contemporary British and Irish music in the United Kingdom. [4] It supported festivals, recording companies, individual musicians, and composers building their careers, with a particular focus on championing less familiar repertoire and new work. [1]
Notable figures in the trust's history included Lord Armstrong of Ilminster, who served as a trustee from the trust's inception until his death in 2020, and Michael Kennedy, the music critic and close friend of Vaughan Williams, who chaired the trust until 2008. [1]
Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust (2008–2022)
Following the death of Ursula Vaughan Williams in 2007, the Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust was established under the terms of her will, becoming active in 2008. [1] The composer's share of publishing rights funded the new trust, which focused on promoting knowledge of Vaughan Williams's work through performances, recordings, research, and definitive new editions. [1]
Michael Kennedy chaired the VWCT until his death in 2014. [1] The trust undertook several major projects, including creating a fully searchable database of over 5,000 items of Vaughan Williams's correspondence, available free online. [5] The trust also spearheaded the RVW150 celebrations in 2022–23, marking the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth. [1]
On 12 October 2022, exactly 150 years after Vaughan Williams's birth, the trustees of both charities launched the Vaughan Williams Foundation, merging the work of the two trusts. [3] The aim of the merger was to continue supporting musicians beyond the expiration of copyright in Vaughan Williams's music in 2028. [1]
The foundation was launched at a celebration held at LSO St Luke's in London, with the first grants announced in March 2023. [3] [5]
Activities and funding
Grant programmes
The Vaughan Williams Foundation operates three annual funding rounds for organisations and individuals, supporting: [6]
- The performance, commission, and recording of music by British and Irish composers active in the last 100 years
- Projects that further knowledge and understanding of the lives and works of Ralph and Ursula Vaughan Williams
The foundation has supported a wide range of beneficiaries, including festivals, orchestras, ensembles, opera companies, national organisations, composers, individual performers, and recording companies. [2]
Vaughan Williams Scholarships
Since the early 1980s, the foundation and its predecessor trusts have awarded postgraduate composition scholarships. [6] Four scholarships of £8,000 each are awarded annually to postgraduate students of composition demonstrating exceptional talent and planning professional careers in composition. [6]
Over 270 composers have received scholarships, including: [6] [2]
RVW150 anniversary
The Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust coordinated nationwide RVW150 celebrations in 2022–23, which included performances of symphonies, ballets, and operas, as well as travelling folk music concerts and cathedral choir performances. [2] The RVW Trust supported a special series of new commissions inspired by Vaughan Williams's music, life, and ideas, including works by Grace-Evangeline Mason, James B. Wilson, Liz Lane, and Sarah Cattley. [5]
Partnerships were established with the Music Teachers Association and the Royal School of Church Music to create free educational resources about Vaughan Williams's work for all levels of education. [2]
Impact and legacy
The combined grants from the RVW Trust and Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust averaged £300,000 per annum, making them significant contributors to British musical life. [2] The organisations supported music-making throughout the United Kingdom, with RVWT funding focusing particularly on new work and the performance and recording of unfamiliar British and Irish repertoire. [2]
Sally Groves stated at the foundation's launch: "Ralph Vaughan Williams was the most quietly generous of men, with an unquenchable interest in all music. We are delighted that the Vaughan Williams Foundation will allow his generosity of spirit to continue and will benefit composers and performers well beyond the life of his musical copyrights." [3]
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