Vaughan Williams liked writing for strings, for the violin and viola, in particular. In many of his larger works they play a prominent role: The Lark Ascending (1914; rev. 1920) was scored for violin and orchestra, for example, while Flos Campi (1925) was written for viola, small chorus, and small orchestra. In his relatively paltry chamber output this same string bias can be noticed. The Phantasy Quintet was scored for two violins, two violas, and cello. But this was not the first time the composer used this unusual combination—the unpublished Ballade and Scherzo, from 1904, claims that distinction.

The Phantasy Quintet consists of four brief movements, the opening one marked "Prelude: Lento ma non troppo." The first viola opens the work with subdued material that augurs the spirit if not the sound of Shostakovich in his quartets from near the middle of the twentieth century. The music here is somber and very much divulging the intimate and darker side of Vaughan Williams, often evoking the loneliness of The Lark Ascending, as well as the grim sound world of the second movement from the Symphony No. 6 (1944 - 1947; rev. 1950).

The vigorous Scherzo, marked Prestissimo, follows without a break. It is brighter and full of energy, suggesting the presence of folk music, but still does not quite dispel the lingering gloom from the opening panel. The third movement (Alla Sarabanda: Lento) is somber, like the Prelude, but a bit sweeter, its scoring leaving out the cello altogether. The finale (Burlesca: Allegro moderato) begins with the cello stating a humorous subject, and the movement remains mostly in high spirits, but for the brief, solemn middle section and the mysterious, subdued ending. This is a well-crafted minor work by Vaughan Williams that ought to receive greater attention.

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