THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

June 16th 1956.

Dear Frank,

I do not like new clothes either for myself or my works, so please may we keep to the red-on-buff.  I was sorry when you bound Antartica (sic) in snow & ice.¹
While I am about it, do you think we can do anything about pushing the Christmas Carol ballet?  Bernard Shore said he was coming to see you about it, but I do not know whether he did.  If he wanted more singing for his show we could easily add a few carols and folk songs.  If the work is ever printed we could add footnotes to the effect “here the carol XYZ may be introduced at the discretion of the producer.”
Yours,

RVW

PS. Is the vⁿ sonata out yet?

1.  This paragraph refers presumably to the publication of the full score of the Eighth Symphony.
2.  Bernard Shore was director of the Rural Schools Music Association, The following January Frank wrote to VW explaining that On Christmas Night was too short to work in the commercial theatre but suggested that the English Folk Dance and Song Society or BBC television might be approached.  According to a note in the file VW apparently replied that he quite understood and ‘if Telly wants to do it, I must put up with it’.  VW’s suggestion about the interpolation of carols was carried out – see VWL3476.