CMP Teaching Plan

Emily Heidelberger

Three Dorset Songs

Ralph Vaughan Williams Arr: Douglas Stotter
Daehn Publications– Grade 3/ 4 min

Broad Description
“Three Dorset Songs” is a collection of the Ralph Vaugh Williams pieces that were turned form poems into vocal solos with a folk
song feel. Douglas Stotter took the three separate vocal pieces and arranged them for concert band.

Composer Biography
Ralph Vaughan Williams was born in October of 1872 to a well off family. He wrote works for student and amature
performers because he believed that music should be for everyone. At the age of 18, Vaughan Williams enrolled in the
Royal College of Music in London where he studied organ and composition. Vaughan William was a late bloomer in
his musical abilities, not finding his voice until his thirties. Two of his most familiar concert band pieces are “Fantasia
on a Theme by Thomas Tallis” and “The Lark Ascending.”

Douglas Stotter has his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in music education from the University of Michigan.
He got his Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in conducting from the University of Iowa. Stotter is the Assistant
Professor of Music at Indiana University which he has held since 1998. Before this position, he taught at both the high
school and college levels. When he is not teaching, Douglas Stotter spends his time arranging music, writing
textbooks, and producing CDs.

Background Information
The three movements of “Three Dorset Songs” were all originally written by Vaugh Williams for voice and piano. Blackamwore by
the Stour, also known as Blackamwore Maidens, and The Winter’s Willow uses the text from poems written by William Barnes. The
text from Boy Johnny is from Anglican poet Christina Rossetti. All three vocal pieces were published in a magazine called The
Vocalist and they became widely performed because of their approachability. Vaughan Williams took the three poems and turned
them into folk song like melodies and Douglas Stotter took the three arrangements and clumped them together into “Three Dorset
Songs.”

Elements of Music
Measure Meter Form Melody Rhythm Harmony Timbre Texture Expression
and
Tempo
clari 2 Clari 1, Reedy thin floating
and 3, bsn, alto (clari)
4/4 alto sax sax 2,
85 Intro 1, horn 1 tenor, bari,
1-2
Ab horn 2, tbn
1 and 2,
euph, tuba
Oboe, Bsn, clari Reedy full Calm and
clari 1 2/3, alto, (oboe) content
alto, tenor,
4/4 A
bari,
3-10 85 4+4
horns,
tbns, euph,
tuba
Flute, Bsn, clari Reedy full Calm and
oboe, 2/3, alto, (oboe) content
4/4 B clari 1, tenor, bari,
11-18 85 4+4 cornet 1 cornet 2/3,
horns,
tbns, euph
clari 2 Clari 1, Reedy thin floating
and 3, bsn, alto (clari)
4/4
Intro alto sax sax 2,
19-20 85
1, horn 1 tenor, bari,
horn 2, tbn

2
 1 and 2,
euph, tuba
Solo Claris, Brassy Melody + Moving
4/4 A cornet horn 1, tbn (cornet) accompaniment forward,
21-28 85 4+4 1, euph, like falling
tuba snow
Solo Flute, Brassy Melody + Moving
4/4 cornet Claris, (cornet) accompaniment forward,
C
85 horn 1, tbn like falling
29-37 4+4
Eb 1, euph, snow
tuba
Horns, Flute, bsn, Dark Melody + Choral like
4/4 A euph Claris, (horn) accompaniment
38-45 85 4+4 alto, tenor,
bari
Flute, Bsn, Resonant dense Gentle
oboe, Claris, (low excitement
4/4
cornet 1 alto, tenor, brass)
85 B
bari,
46-end C dim 4+4
cornet 2/3,
>Ab
tbns, euph,
tuba

The Heart Statement

The changing harmonies that accompany a sweeping melody to depict a happy portrayal of a dead and dreary time of year.

Introducing the Piece

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I would have the students start by reading the poems and then make their interpretations about them before reading the piece. I would
also explain the musical context for the time period that Vaughn Williams was writing and how these pieces were very popular
because they were written for armature musicians not professionals.

Affective Outcome:
The students will make predictions about the second movement based on their understanding of the original poem.

Strategies
 How to analyze a poem
 Expressive elements of music
 Sing the original vocal piece
 Vocal phrasing and breathing

Assessment
Using musical language, the students will write a journal entry making predictions about musical elements in the second movement
and why. After rehearsing our piece, the students will write whether elements of their predictions were in the piece.

Skill Outcome:

Strategies

4
Assessment

Knowledge Outcome:

Strategies

Assessment

Recommended Recordings
https://www.barnhouse.com/product/ldp-7283-00/
I chose this recording because there are very few recordings of this arrangement. This one is not fuzzy with the sounds of the outdoors
like the other recording of this piece. It demonstrates a professional level of playing, but I wish I could find a high school recording.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2VCzpkiqmg
This is a recording of the original vocal piece for The Winter’s Willow. It demonstrates the phrasing that should be taken from the
vocal arrangement and carried over to the instrumental arrangement.

References

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https://rvwsociety.com/short-biography/
https://imslp.org/wiki/The_Winter%27s_Willow_(Vaughan_Williams%2C_Ralph)

Works for Winds

Linden Lea
Sea Songs
English Folk Song Suite
Fantasia on a Theme from Thomas Tallis

Glossary of Terms

Blackamwore: a very dark skinned person

Stour: dust forming a cloud
Morendo: perform in a manner that dies away in tone or tempo
Risoluto: perform as resolved, bold, and resolute manner

Sang through, studied, and marked parts (check off as completed)

Piccolo Cornets/Trumpets 1st Violins

Flutes Horns 2nd Violins
Oboes Trombones Violas
English Horn Euphoniums Celli
Bassoons Tubas String Bass
Eb Clarinet Harp

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Clarinets Timpani
Alto Clarinets Snare Drum Sopranos
Bass Clarinets Mallet Percussion Altos
Contra Bass/Alto Clarinet Remaining Percussion Tenors
Saxophones Piano Basses