THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking,
Surrey.

23rd November, 1949.

Dear Margery¹

I have put off writing because I felt too overwhelmed by the splendour of your present to be able to express myself, and even now what can I say? except thank you all to the Nth. power – to the L.S.O. for their magnificent playing, to William Cole for his really inspired conducting, and above all, of course, to you and all your colleagues who devised and carried out what was to me such a wonderful evening.²
Yrs

R. Vaughan Williams

Miss Cullen,
Northacre,
WESTCOTT.

1.  Secretary to the Leith HiIl Musical Festival.
2.  On 9th November William Cole had conducted a performance by the London Symphony Orchestra of the 6th Symphony, and VW the Five Variants on Dives and Lazarus, and the London Symphony in the Dorking Halls in a performance ‘given by friends of the Leith Hill Musical Festival to Dr Ralph Vaughan Williams, O.M., as an expression of their affection and gratitude’. See R.V.W.: a biography,  p.196.