▁music , ▁with ▁no ▁programme ▁of ▁any ▁kind ; ▁non eth eless , ▁some ▁of ▁those ▁close ▁to ▁him , ▁including ▁F oss ▁and ▁Bou lt , ▁remained ▁convinced ▁that ▁something ▁of ▁the ▁trouble d ▁spirit ▁of ▁the ▁age ▁was ▁captured ▁in ▁the ▁work . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁de cade ▁progress ed , ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁found ▁musical ▁insp iration ▁lack ing , ▁and ▁experienced ▁his ▁first ▁fall ow ▁period ▁since ▁his ▁w art ime ▁musical ▁silence . ▁After ▁his ▁anti - war ▁cant ata ▁D ona ▁no bis ▁pac em ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁complete ▁another ▁work ▁of ▁substantial ▁length ▁until ▁late ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁when ▁the ▁first ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Sym phony ▁was ▁completed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁met ▁Urs ula ▁Wood ▁( 1 9 1 1 – 2 0 0 7 ), ▁the ▁wife ▁of ▁an ▁army ▁officer , ▁Captain ▁( l ater ▁Lieutenant - Col onel ) ▁Michael ▁For r ester ▁Wood . ▁She ▁was ▁a ▁poet , ▁and ▁had ▁approached ▁the ▁composer ▁with ▁a ▁proposed ▁scenario ▁for ▁a ▁bal let . ▁Despite ▁their ▁both ▁being ▁married , ▁and ▁a ▁four - de cade ▁age - g ap , ▁they ▁fell ▁in ▁love ▁almost ▁from ▁their ▁first ▁meeting ; ▁they ▁maintained ▁a ▁secret ▁love ▁affair ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁de cade . ▁Urs ula ▁became ▁the ▁composer ' s ▁muse , ▁helper ▁and ▁London ▁companion , ▁and ▁later ▁helped