THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Arnold Barter

Letter No. VWL2833

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Arnold Barter

Letter No.: VWL2833


The White Gates,
Dorking,

14th October, 1948.

Dear Barter

Thank you and all your singers so much for your kind birthday wishes and for the beautiful flowers.
I am sorry I burdened you with that huge full score.1  I ought to have discovered before whether you wanted it.  There is no hurry to return it.
Yrs ever

R. Vaughan Williams

Arnold Barter, Esq.,
9, Hurle Crescent,
Clifton,
BRISTOL.

P.S.2 The place you mention3  has never been satisfactory – my fault I am sure – I shd like to try one day altering the voice parts – all, I think to sing the high E in unison & the orchestra to do the rest.

RVW

P.P.S.  There are 2 sets of band parts – I redid the expression marks in one set when I decided to make the chorus sing the words “& I saw an angel” – but I expect the other set was not done – these publishers are hopeless.


1.  i.e. of Sancta Civitas – see VWL2770.
2.  On a second sheet – which had become separated from the first page – and which may not belong to this letter – but it seems the likely candidate.
3.  Barter added the note ‘[fig] 58’.