Pilgrims Progress, The

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Pilgrim's Progress, The. There have been several mus. settings based on the allegory by John Bunyan (Part I 1674–9, II 1684). The best-known are: (1) Opera (morality) in 4 acts by Vaughan Williams to his own adaptation of Bunyan, with Christian's name altered to Pilgrim. Comp. between 1925 and 1951, rev. 1951–2. Prod. CG 1951, Cambridge 1954, Manchester (RNCM) 1992; f. Amer. p. Provo, Utah, 1968. Act IV, Sc. 2 is The Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains, which had been prod. as a separate ‘pastoral episode’ in London in 1922. Vaughan Williams also comp. incidental mus. (some of it later incorporated into the opera) for BBC prod. of The Pilgrim's Progress in 1943. His 5th Sym. (1938–43) uses themes from the opera, which at that time he did not expect to finish. (2) Oratorio for soloists, ch., and orch. by Bantock, 1928. (3) Oratorio by Robin Milford, 1932.

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Pilgrims Progress, The

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