▁his ▁true ▁voice ▁until ▁his ▁late ▁th irt ies ; ▁his ▁studies ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 – 1 9 0 8 ▁with ▁the ▁French ▁composer ▁Maurice ▁R avel ▁helped ▁him ▁clarify ▁the ▁text ures ▁of ▁his ▁music ▁and ▁free ▁it ▁from ▁Te ut onic ▁influ ences . ▁ ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁is ▁among ▁the ▁best - known ▁British ▁sym phon ists , ▁noted ▁for ▁his ▁very ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁m ood s , ▁from ▁storm y ▁and ▁imp ass ioned ▁to ▁tran qu il , ▁from ▁myster ious ▁to ▁ex uber ant . ▁Among ▁the ▁most ▁familiar ▁of ▁his ▁other ▁concert ▁works ▁are ▁Fant asia ▁on ▁a ▁Th eme ▁by ▁Thomas ▁T all is ▁( 1 9 1 0 ) ▁and ▁The ▁L ark ▁As c ending ▁( 1 9 1 4 ). ▁His ▁vocal ▁works ▁include ▁h ym ns , ▁folk - song ▁arrang ements ▁and ▁large - scale ▁ch oral ▁pieces . ▁He ▁wrote ▁eight ▁works ▁for ▁stage ▁performance ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 9 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 1 . ▁Although ▁none ▁of ▁his ▁oper as ▁became ▁popular ▁re per toire ▁pieces , ▁his ▁bal let ▁Job : ▁A ▁Mas que ▁for ▁Dan cing ▁( 1 9 3 0 ) ▁was ▁successful ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁frequently ▁st aged . ▁ ▁Two ▁episodes ▁made ▁not ably ▁deep ▁impress ions ▁in ▁V aug han ▁Williams ' s ▁personal ▁life . ▁The ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁army , ▁had ▁a ▁last ing ▁emot