They were based on folk songs Vaughan Williams had collected in the English county of Norfolk, in particular the fishing port of King's Lynn in January 1905.
Vaughan Williams had collected several of these songs in the North End of King's Lynn which was home to the majority of the port's fishing community.
The missing ending was reconstructed in 2002 by Stephen Hogger for a CD recording by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Hickox.
Although this recording was apparently permitted by the RVW Society on the understanding that it would be a "one-off exhumation", the same orchestra and conductor gave the restored score a public performance at a Musicians' Benevolent Fund Royal Concert at the Barbican Centre in 2004.
[6] The March has since been recorded by Dutton Epoch CDLX7351, performed by the Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Martin Yates.