THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.

April 13 1956

Dear Gerald

Some time ago an American society wanted to shut me up in a cage & not let me out till I had written a symphony – When I refused this honour they converted it into a grant of $500 (about £175) to [be] used by me for any worthy purposes¹ – I think your orchestra ought to share in the spoil.²
Love to Joyce
I have made the cheque personal to you to avoid audit worries
Yrs

RVW

1. See VWL3384, written to on the same day, where VW mentions the American grant awarded as a larger sum; perhaps he set it as the figure he was proposing to give to the beneficiary to whom he was writing.
2. Finzi had founded the Newbury String Players in 1940, and conducted them until his death in 1956.