Ursula Vaughan Williams, 96; composer’s widow and biographer

Ursula Vaughan Williams, 96, who wrote librettos for her composer husband and after his death wrote his biography, died Tuesday in London, said Gwen Knighton of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

Vaughan Williams, who was president of the society, had been in ill health for some time.

She published “RVW,” a well-regarded biography of Ralph Vaughan Williams, in 1964. She wrote lyrics for “The Sons of Light,” “Four Last Songs” and parts of “Hodie” and “Pilgrim’s Progress,” which he set to music, and produced five volumes of verse and three novels.

Ralph (pronounced rayf) Vaughan Williams also set her poem “Silence and Music” to music as their contribution to a collection of songs by 10 composers and 10 poets in honor of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Born Joan Ursula Penton Lock into a military family in Malta in 1911, she met the composer in 1938 after offering him a scenario for a ballet. It was rejected, but they began a close friendship.

Both were married at the time. Her husband died in 1942, and the composer’s wife, Adeline, died in 1951. Undeterred by a 40-year age gap, she became Mrs. Vaughan Williams in 1953. He died in 1958 at age 85.