Name: Ralph Vaughan WilliamsDates: 1872-1958Country of birth: EnglandHistorical Era: 20th centuryContemporary Composers: Schoenberg, Stravinsky, CoplandContemporary Artists: Renoir, Kandinsky, PicassoOther People/Events: Einstein, World War 1, World War 11, Queen Elizabeth 11, invention of automobile, the first crossing of the English channel in an airplane, the sinking of the Titanic

During World War 1, Vaughan Williams was walking along the cliffs of Dover in England, minding his own business when a sudden burst of inspiration gripped him. He paused to sit and write down a tune that had just come to him. Unbeknown to him, a group of British soldiers were performing training maneuvers nearby and Vaughan Williams was promptly arrested and accused of spying and writing coded messages for the enemy. It took some swift talking, but eventually the officer was convinced and let him go.

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11 Ralph Vaughan Williams Fact Sheet