THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Dorking

Feb 15 [1943]

Dear Adrian

This is most kind of you – ¹
It won’t be for some time yet because the orchestration has got to be revised and then the parts copied.
Could your secretary tell me how many string parts are wanted for the Proms?
Yrs

RVW

1. Boult had written on 11th February: ‘May I just confirm what I said about rehearsing the new Symphony [the Fifth Symphony (Catalogue of Works 1943/2)]. We should be most happy to put aside half a rehearsal as soon as you like to go through the work and enable you to test Parts, etc.  The rehearsal could be taken by you, Sir Henry, Raybould or myself, as you wish and according to what is decided about the Proms.  I think there will be a very strong feeling that you should conduct it yourself when the first performance comes.’