ABSTRACT
Not only was the premiere of Folk Songs the National Federation's first national musical event, but it was also the first time that the organization had commissioned a work for a specific occasion. Unlike the secondary literature on Folk Songs, reviews of the premiere tended to focus on Vaughan Williams's music rather than on the performance of the Women's Institute choir. The Festival clearly meant a great deal to the Women's Institute members, not only by providing what was for many the opportunity to work for the first time with professional musicians, but also the opportunity to gather together the best of its musical talents. The National Federation's first National Singing Festival was essentially an exercise in assessing the standard of music and needs for development within the organization. Apart from references to letters of appreciation, there is little information about what it meant for the numerous country women's choirs who entered in the first National Singing Festival.
