In this engaging work Vaughan Williams takes advantage of the expressive possibilities of the cello, ranging from wistful and melancholic to lively and jovial. It was composed in 1929 and premiered the following year by its dedicatee, the legendary Spanish cellist Pablo Casals. The five folk songs on which the work is founded are 'Salisbury Plain', 'The Long Whip', 'Low down in the broom', 'Bristol Town', and 'I've been to France'. Materials for the orchestral accompaniment are available on hire.

This fantasia for solo cello and orchestra is based on five folk tunes, and was first performed by Pablo Casals in 1930. The piano reduction was prepared by John Lenehan from the original score and the cello part was edited by Julian Lloyd Webber.