THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

February 8th 1953.

Dear McKie,¹
I am sending off the Old Hundredth to Novello’s via O.U.P. tomorrow morning. I am glad you approve of it.²
Now I am going to make a very bold request. Is there any chance that you could squeeze my wife (formerly Ursula Wood) and me on to the organ screen at the ceremony?³ I will slim for the process, if necessary. Last time Bullock kindly offered me a place there, but I had already got one, in virtue, I suppose, of the letters after my name. But apparently this is not going to materialise this time. Perhaps we could help put out the music or something to give us a right of entry.⁴

[remainder of letter missing]

1. McKie was organist of Westminster Abbey.
2. VW had orchestrated the hymn Psalm 194 for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
3. i.e. the Coronation
4. McKie replied that there was no room in the organ loft, but they could have more comfortable seats in the musicians’ part of the Abbey.