THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking, Surrey.

3rd April 1952

To confirm telephone conversation

Dear Foote

About two years ago I gave a private performance here of a small work for a chorus and orchestra with reciter, which Alan Frank heard, and I think approved of.¹
I have now revised it and Mr. Rose² of Queen’s College, Oxford wants to do it with his choir. There is not time, even if you were willing, to get the work out before June, when they want to perform it, but they propose that they should photograph sufficient vocal parts off the original manuscript for their purposes.
What I want to know is, how will this affect you if we ever propose to publish it?  Perhaps you will let me know your opinion about this, because Mr. Rose naturally wants the vocal parts as soon as possible.³
Yrs

R. Vaughan Williams

G. Foote, Esq.,
Oxford University Press.

1. An Oxford Elegy, Catalogue of Works 1949/2. The performance was given by the Tudor Singers under Harry Stubbs on 20th November 1949.
2. Bernard Rose, Organist of Queens College, Oxford 1939-1957 and of Magdalen College, Oxford 1957-1981.
3. Foote replied on 4th April that Oxford University Press would publish the work and that when Rose had finished with the parts they should be sent to OUP and would be available to him thereafter without charge.