Symphony No. 8 (Vaughan Williams) it with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, with the composer present in the Royal Box. Charles Munch conducted the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s premiere of the work on 31 October 1957, at Symphony Hall. Ten more performances by the same team followed within three weeks in several cities. Symphony No. 8 (Vaughan Williams) Ralph Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 8 in D minor was composed between 1953 and 1955. It was the first of his symphonies which Vaughan Williams numbered. Sir John Barbirolli conducted the premiere of the piece on 2 May 1956, with the Hallé Orchestra. The
Symphony No. 9 (Vaughan Williams) opening theme of the slow movement comes from music Vaughan Williams had composed more than fifty years earlier: "A Sea Symphony" and an even earlier, unpublished tone poem from 1904 called "The Solent". <score vorbis="1"> \relative c' { \clef treble \key d \minor \numericTimeSignature \time 4/4 \tempo "Poco animando" 4 = 100 <d bes>8\p <d bes> <d bes> bes <cis a>4 <cis a> | <d bes>8 <d bes> <d bes> bes <ees c>4 <d bes> } </score> The orchestra includes: Vaughan Williams's program note accompanying the premiere performance remarked thus: The usual symphony orchestra is used with the addition of