THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking.

Feb 19 [1952]

Dear Frank,¹

Herewith Larry’s piece which you said you w^d like to look at – I fear it w^d be very little practical use to you as I cannot see how it can arrange for any other instrument & Larry is the only person who plays this kind of music on that queer instrument – I have given him a copy of the pfte score²
Yrs

RVW

1. Music Editor at Oxford University Press in succession to Norman Peterkin (1947); Head of Music from 1954 until his retirement in 1975.
2. Romance in D flat for Harmonica, accompanied by an orchestra of strings and pianoforte (Catalogue of Works 1951/4), written for Larry Adler. Frank replied that Oxford University Press would happily prepare performing material and control performances but would wait to see how the piece was received (it was to be given its first performance in New York on 3rd May 1952) before deciding on publication. A score for harmonica and piano accompaniment was published in 1953.