Ralph Vaughan Williams' Two Partsongs sets Shakespeare's Sonnet 71 and Ben Johnson's Echo's Lament for Narcissus to music and are published here together for the first time, and present a fascinating insight into the early development of one of Britain's greatest 20th Century composers. Written when Vaughan Williams was a student at the Royal College of Music, studying under Charles Stanford, the two songs are an excellent and contrasted pair - the first addressing genuine mourning; the second a delightful madrigalian parody - and both make important and exciting additions to the choral repertory.

Arranged for unaccompanied SATB mixed voices choir.

The Choral Programme Series is now a well-established programming tool for many choirs as it offers a wealth of fresh material from many eras and in many styles.