THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

July 30th 1955

Dear Tony,

Thank you so much about the Tuba.¹ I am now having a flirtation with her young cousin the flugel horn² whose aquaintance I first made in the Salvation Army Band: she has more or less the same compass as the Cornet, but is much more mellow, though not so active.  I need hardly say that, she³ being a Salvationist, I do not use the word mellow in its technical sense.
Our love to Ruth,
Yrs

RVW

1.  Presumably a letter about the Tuba Concerto, Catalogue of Works 1954/2.
2.  This passage perhaps indicates that VW had started work on the Ninth Symphony, with its prominent part for the flügel horn.  He had first encountered it shortly before in writing Prelude on three Welsh hymn tunes, Catalogue of Works 1955/2, for the Salvation Army.
3.  “She” added in manuscript.