The Wise Virgins

Suite from the Ballet

General Information – Instrumentation – Manuscript – Publication – Arrangements – Adaptations – Recordings

General Information:

I.   What God hath done is rightly done    [Vivace assai]
II.   Lord, hear my longing [Adagio]
III.   See what his love can do [Tranquillo]
     IV.   Ah! how ephemeral [Vivace]
V.   Sheep may safely graze [Adagio]
VI.   Praise be to God [Moderato]

Arrangement:  Arranged by the composer in 1940, from the score to the ballet The Wise Virgins.

First Performance:  Unknown

Duration:  About 19 minutes

C. Number:  C38a

Instrumentation:

2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons – 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones – timpani – harp – strings

Manuscript:  There is no known surviving manuscript of this suite.

Publication:

Oxford University Press, 1942. Score, parts, and piano reduction are available on hire. Materials available for purchase:

The Wise Virgins Suite 1986 Study score  ISBN 019 3613840 Buy from SheetMusicPlus.com
No. 4, 'Ah! how ephemeral', arr. Walter Goehr 1960 Two pianos   Discontinued
No. 5, 'Sheep may safely graze' 1942 Score   Discontinued

Arrangements:

Adaptations:

The suite to The Wise Virgins was itself used as the basis for the following ballet:

Recordings:

Orchestra Conductor Year Compact Disc Timing
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Louis Frémaux 1976 EMI Classics 5 73998 2 19'29"
London Philharmonic Bryden Thomson 1990 Chandos CHAN 8871 19'46"
English Northern Philharmonia David Lloyd-Jones 2001 Naxos 8.555868 18'12"
BBC Concert Orchestra Barry Wordsworth 2003 ASV DCA 1168 17'55"

WilliamWalton.net – Catalogue of Works – Orchestral Music – Ballet : The Wise Virgins