Vaughan Williams' Tuba Concerto

Composed by Doreen Carwithen (1922 – 2003)

‍10 minutes


Doreen Carwithen’s Overture ‘ODTAA’ takes its unusual title from the phrase ‘One Damn Thing After Another’. It was composed in 1945–46 and inspired by John Masefield’s adventure novel of the same name. The overture was premiered in 1947 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Adrian Boult.

The title gives us useful insight into the music. This is a work full of movement, momentum and quick scene changes. One idea seems to tumble into the next, creating the feeling of a story already underway. It does not sit still for long. Instead, it sweeps forward with colour, energy and barely contained excitement.

Carwithen had a natural gift for orchestral drama. She later became an important film composer, writing music for more than 30 films, and you can hear that cinematic instinct in ODTAA. The music has pace and vividness, as though the orchestra is setting up a series of images: a burst of action, a flash of danger, a moment of mystery, then another sudden turn.

But this is not just noisy adventure music. Carwithen writes with precision and control. The orchestral colours are bright and sharply drawn, with brass and percussion adding brilliance and punch while the strings drive the music forward. There is wit here too – the sense that the title is being taken seriously, but with a raised eyebrow.

The result is an overture that feels fresh, confident and full of personality.

Composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 – 1958)

‍26 minutes


Vaughan Williams’s Concerto for Bass Tuba in F minor puts an instrument usually heard at the back of the orchestra into the spotlight. The tuba is often thought of as the orchestra’s deep foundation – rich, heavy and powerful. Vaughan Williams shows that it can also be agile, warm, expressive and surprisingly light on its feet.

The concerto was written in 1954 for Philip Catelinet, principal tuba player of the London Symphony Orchestra. At the time, the idea of a tuba concerto was unusual enough to raise a few eyebrows. But Vaughan Williams treats the instrument with affection and imagination, giving it music that sings, dances and speaks with character.

The first movement begins with sturdy, good-humoured energy. The solo tuba enters confidently, supported by bright orchestral writing. Instead of simply providing weight, the tuba becomes a storyteller.

The central Romanza reveals the instrument’s lyrical side. This is the emotional heart of the concerto. The tuba sings in long, gentle phrases, its deep tone giving the music warmth and depth. It has the feeling of a quiet song, simple on the surface but full of feeling.

The finale is lively and nimble. Vaughan Williams gives the soloist quick, dancing music that challenges any idea of the tuba as slow or cumbersome.

The concerto is short, but it makes a strong impression. It is not a novelty piece or a joke at the tuba’s expense. It is a generous, beautifully crafted work that celebrates the instrument’s humour, strength, tenderness and surprising grace.

Composed by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 – 1809)

22 minutes


Haydn’s Symphony No 100 in G major is one of his famous ‘London’ symphonies, written during the great success of his two visits to England in the 1790s. By this stage, Haydn was one of Europe’s most admired composers, and London audiences were eager to hear what he would do next.

The symphony became known as the ‘Military’ because of the unusual sounds Haydn introduces, especially in the second and fourth movements. Alongside the elegant Classical orchestra, he adds the colours of a military band: trumpet fanfares, triangle, cymbals and bass drum. These sounds would have been striking and exciting to audiences at the time. Even today, they give the music a playful sense of spectacle.

The first movement begins slowly and gracefully before moving into bright, lively music full of bounce and confidence. Haydn was a master of surprise, using quick shifts, witty turns and clever orchestral details to keep the listener alert.

The famous second movement starts almost innocently, with a charming melody. Then the ‘military’ effects arrive, changing the atmosphere at once. What began as polite and elegant suddenly becomes bold, noisy and dramatic.

The third movement moves with grandeur and strength, balanced by a lighter trio section. The finale then brings the symphony to a lively close, racing forward with energy and good humour.

Like much of Haydn’s best music, the Military Symphony is polished, inventive and full of personality. It knows how to charm an audience, but also how to catch them off guard.