# The Lark Ascending - with spoken introduction



## JD1 (Feb 20, 2015)

Hi folks, new to the forum. Until recently, I have been very much a Vaughan Williams fan (though I'm branching out quite a bit ) 

I'm basically looking for a version of The Lark scending with the spoken words from the great man himself that were played before the piece on Classic FM's Hall of Fame last year. I remember walking down the street with my headphones in on my way home and my hairs standing on end and becoming overly emotional at the time and would love to hear again. 

Any info apprecited,

J


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

Welcome, JD1.

Are you sure that wasn't just how they edited the radio show: an audio clip/interview of RVW that they chose, and which they disolved into the opening of the work?

Or was it perhaps someone reading the George Meredith poem its based on before the work started?

At any rate I've never heard of a recording with a spoken introduction, sorry.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Welcome JD1 

Like SimonNZ, I wondered about this too. It didn't seem the type of thing that RVW would have done so I scoured the net as it looked like a very intriguing prospect .... and didn't turn anything up. It would be pretty unusual for ClassicFM to turn up a previously unknown historic recording with RVW personally reciting the poem, so I too suspect that someone else was reading it .... but I'd like to be proved wrong :tiphat:


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## JD1 (Feb 20, 2015)

Headphone Hermit said:


> Welcome JD1
> 
> Like SimonNZ, I wondered about this too. It didn't seem the type of thing that RVW would have done so I scoured the net as it looked like a very intriguing prospect .... and didn't turn anything up. It would be pretty unusual for ClassicFM to turn up a previously unknown historic recording with RVW personally reciting the poem, so I too suspect that someone else was reading it .... but I'd like to be proved wrong :tiphat:


Thanks for getting back to me. To be honest, it probably was spliced with a sound clip. If I remember correctly it wasn't Meredith's poem, just dialogue, but it really cut through me. I do remember listening to it again afterwards, but can't for the life of me remember where.


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## JD1 (Feb 20, 2015)

Well I've found the intro - It contained both Vaughan Williams speaking and a recital of the Lark Ascending by George Meredith. Must sharpen the memory.

http://www.classicfm.com/composers/vaughan-williams/news/lark-ascending-hall-of-fame-2014/


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