Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Open Access Dissertation

Department

School of Music

First Advisor

Alicia W. Walker

Abstract

Charles Villiers Stanford is best known for his contributions as a composer to the sacred choral genre and his role as Professor of Composition at the Royal College of Music in London during the Second English Musical Renaissance. Beyond his church music, which is still regularly performed today, Stanford’s secular compositions are largely underperformed, especially for a composer and teacher of his stature. This document provides a conductor’s guide to Charles V. Stanford’s two works: Songs of the Sea and Songs of the Fleet. These two choral-orchestral works are less than 25 minutes in duration each and are scored for baritone soloist, chorus, and orchestra. Both texts deal with seafaring imagery and were written by Henry Newbolt at the height of English nationalism during the early 20th century. The works are both five movements each, with the chorus acting in a supplementary role. While the text of his earlier naval choral ballad, The Revenge (1886), presents a battle narrative, the texts of Songs of the Sea and Songs of the Fleet are more pictorial and introspective, exploring the sentimentality of life as a sailor in the Royal Navy. This document discusses the historical context, analysis of the works, conducting and teaching considerations, and rehearsal and performance suggestions to offer conductors an introduction to Stanford’s Songs of the Sea and Songs of the Fleet.

Rights

© 2026, Brian Niu

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