THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

69 Gloucester Crescent
London NW1
England

February 14th 1963

Dear John,

Thank you so much for your letter – I’m so glad you and Brian met – one always wants one’s friends to know each other, and Brian is an interesting man & full of good ideas – & it’s nice that you caroused together.
I’m so glad about Riders – incidentaly, [sic] I’ve been reading Synge’s ‘Arran Islands’ – its published with the plays in the worlds Classics – & […] that no one has, in any of the main productions I have seen, dressed it properly. It shd be all red flannell [sic] (most decorative.)
& Epithalamion … I want to see a proper professional production of the masque version & when & where is Pilgrim to be? I hope they’ll do that very simply – lots of intelligent lighting, Appolyon, as Ralph imagined him, as a shadow – & not a chryselephantine heaven! (as at Cov. Gdn.)
I’m nearing the end of the biography, though there will be lots of revision as people still keep finding new-old letters & sending them to me.
They’ve just given a performance of the Sea Symphony in Tokyo – Japanese soloists choir and orchestra – Chilean/English conductor, so with an American poet & British composer its an exciting affair.
With greetings
Ursula VW.