Symphony No. 9 in E minor
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Work background
Researched classical background
Vaughan Williams's last symphony expands his familiar orchestral palette with three saxophones and a flugelhorn. Its four movements include reflective music as well as strongly accented episodes. The surviving composition history contains associations with Thomas Hardy and the landscape around Salisbury, but the completed symphony does not impose a detailed spoken narrative on those musical ideas.
A listening guide
Listen for the blended saxophone chords and the distinctive flugelhorn solos.
Listening suggestions are editorial guides to the music.
Forces: Orchestra with three saxophones and flugelhorn
Composition: 1956-1958
Principal composition 1956-57; revisions continued in 1958.
This entry describes the musical work or cycle. Composition, premiere and publication dates describe different events. Performers and recordings can be explored through the external listening search.
Date, title and version notes
Early Hardy and Salisbury associations do not establish a scene-by-scene programme for the final score.
London Symphony Orchestra: Elgar and Vaughan Williams 9 programme
1956-58 chronology, saxophones, flugelhorn and Hardy associations | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Ralph Vaughan Williams Society: list of works
Composition and revision dates, scoring and authorized titles | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Sources for this work
London Symphony Orchestra: Elgar and Vaughan Williams 9 programme
1956-58 chronology, saxophones, flugelhorn and Hardy associations | Reviewed 2026-10-19
Ralph Vaughan Williams Society: list of works
Composition and revision dates, scoring and authorized titles | Reviewed 2026-10-19
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