THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking,
SURREY.

9th November, 1949

Dear Isidore

What do you say to the following scheme for November 20th?
The quartet to come down by the 11.42 from Waterloo (the Sunday trains run at 42 not 47 past). I will meet you at the station and we would have an early lunch about 12.45 either at the Star & Garter or at the Red Lion. Then the car could meet us and we would get to White Gates about 1.45 – have half an hour running through the parts before the chorus arrived at 2.15, and then a short full rehearsal until 3.15.
We cannot expect a perfect performance and my friends have been invited on the understanding it is only a “run-through”.
Does this idea commend itself to you?
I find that, after all, according to Miss Cullen¹ who has absolute pitch, and my tuning fork², which I admit is rather rusty, the pitch of my pianoforte is correct philharmonic pitch. It is flatter than my small pianoforte, and that is why I thought it was flat.
Yrs

RVW

It was so nice meeting Madame & you yourself yesterday

Isidore Schwiller, Esq.,
19, Canfield Gardens,
N.W.6.

1.  Margery Cullen, Secretary of the Leith Hill Musical Festival.
2.  Presumably not the tuning fork formerly belonging to Beethoven which is now in the British Library.