THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking.

May 21 [1946]

Dear Michael

Are you coming to London at all this summer?  If so there is a professional engagement which I sh^d be very grateful if you w^d undertake that is to play through the solo p^fte arrangement of my new symph¹ to a few friends at Dorking – we could put you up for the night here & it w^d be so nice to see Mary too (tho’ I fear there is no room for the whole family!) any time except the 1^st fortnight in July & a week end would be best because I could collect more people then.
My love to Mary
Yrs

R. Vaughan Williams

1. The Sixth Symphony, Catalogue of Works 1947/3. A part of the solo pianoforte score is in the Royal College of Music Library (MS 5360d). This letter concerns a play-through described in detail in R.V.W.: a biography, p.267-268. It was well in advance of the first performance, which took place in April 1948 at the Royal Albert Hall.