THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Lemare String Orchestra
Conductor; Iris Lemare
Ivy Cottage, Copmanthorpe
York

April 13th [?1947]

My dear Uncle Ralph

Stainer & Bells appear to have an arrangement of the “Mystical Songs” for string quartet and piano – Is it all right to do this arrangement with string orchestra and piano – there is a Contralto up here who wants to sing them with us – and I wanted to ask you about this before going any further. We have only a small orchestra 4-4-2-2-1 players – but I thought it possible that the quartet arrangement with piano may have been balanced specially for solo instruments? – and therefore not intended to be done by several?
I do hope you are well and not been either frozen or flooded. We have been well off here – better than London I think.
With love
Ever yrs

Iris

Note at foot:

[19th April 1947¹]
Yes

RVW

1.  Year date from postmark. The note at the foot in the hand of VW.