THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to John Wilson

Letter No. VWL4641

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to John Wilson

Letter No.: VWL4641


From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London. 

October 15th 1957.

Dear Mr Wilson1
Thank you and all your fellow Charterhouse musicians for your good wishes. You know I learned quite a lot of music at Charterhouse, though it was supposed to be the Philistine period of Public School life, and I,  and a boy friend  once actually gave a concert of our own compositions in the school hall, with the leave of the Headmaster. So I feel most friendly to Charterhouse music and Charterhouse musicians.
Last year, in Majorca I met Robert Graves2 in a restaurant – we suddenly discovered that we were both O.Cs whereupon we both sang Carmen3 so loud that it brought on a thunderstorm!
Thank you all once again,
Yours sincerely,
R Vaughan Williams


1. Headmaster of Charterhouse school, where VW had been a pupil. Presumably this letter is in response to birthday wishes for VW’s 85th birthday.
2. Robert Graves, the poet.
3. The school song, “Carmen Carthusianum”