THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Hubert Foster Clark (BBC)

Letter No. VWL1339

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Hubert Foster Clark (BBC)

Letter No.: VWL1339


The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Nov 27 [1934]

Dear Mr Foster Clark

Many thanks for your letter.  I shd prefer the 4 hymns1 (they are pfte & viola obbligato as written you know – failing string orchestra) – they are less than 20 minutes I think – If by any chance you have not written engaged a soloist – the 4 hymns were written for Steuart Wilson likewise & he is undoubtedly the man for them (likewise for the Chaucer songs2) – I fear Mr Kettlewell misunderstood me.  I told of one old song which I had forgotten about & one other old song which had lately been dug up & published by the OUP.
If you want some entirely unknown & heartily disliked songs of mine (though not old) you shd see the 3 songs on a ground bass (unfortunately titled 3 songs from Walt Whitman)3 OUP)  My favourite among my own songs is “The New Ghost” (4 songs by Fredegond Shove)4 (OUP).
Yrs sincerely

R Vaughan Williams


1.  Catalogue of Works, 1914/2.
2.  Merciless Beauty: three rondels for high voice, Catalogue of Works, 1921/11.
3.  Three poems by Walt Whitman, Catalogue of Works, 1925/4.
4.  Four poems by Fredegond Shove, Catalogue of Works, 1925/3.