▁L ect ures . ▁From ▁ 1 9 0 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁he ▁was ▁music ▁editor ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁h ymn - book , ▁The ▁English ▁H ymn al , ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁later ▁said , ▁" I ▁now ▁know ▁that ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁close ▁association ▁with ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁( as ▁well ▁as ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁worst ) ▁t unes ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁was ▁a ▁better ▁musical ▁education ▁than ▁any ▁amount ▁of ▁son at as ▁and ▁fug ues ". ▁Always ▁committed ▁to ▁music - making ▁for ▁the ▁whole ▁community , ▁he ▁helped ▁found ▁the ▁amateur ▁Le ith ▁Hill ▁Music ▁Festival ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁and ▁was ▁appointed ▁its ▁principal ▁conduct or , ▁a ▁post ▁he ▁held ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 3 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 3 – 1 9 0 4 ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁started ▁collect ing ▁folk - song s . ▁He ▁had ▁always ▁been ▁interested ▁in ▁them , ▁and ▁now ▁followed ▁the ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁recent ▁generation ▁of ▁enthus iast s ▁such ▁as ▁Cec il ▁Sh arp ▁and ▁Lucy ▁Broad wood ▁in ▁going ▁into ▁the ▁English ▁coun tr ys ide ▁not ing ▁down ▁and ▁trans cri bing ▁songs ▁tradition ally ▁s ung ▁in ▁various ▁locations . ▁Col lections ▁of ▁the ▁songs ▁were ▁published , ▁pres erving ▁many ▁that ▁could ▁otherwise ▁have ▁van ished ▁as ▁or al ▁trad itions ▁died ▁out . ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁incorpor ated ▁some ▁into ▁his ▁own ▁compos itions , ▁and ▁more ▁generally