THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Sunday [30th July 1939]

My Dear

I got your express last night. The boy came twice – because the 1^st time he’d forgotten it.
I thought the only thing to do when I got Douglas’ letter was definitely to cry off for that date, so I wrote [to] all my people & told them so. I c^d not keep them shilly-shallying any longer. So Oct. 24^th is off any how. It rather goes against my grain to let Amy¹ do it later, but if Douglas made the suggestion we might consider it.
My dear, I feel so sorry about it – not so much for my music, which if it is good can wait its time & if it is bad had better not be heard, but for you and the whole thing. You know I think I wrote it because I’m fond of you (though appearances were against that theory!) & because I like the idea of you, me and Douglas all working together. If that cannot be achieved I do not feel inclined to push it. You know, my dear, I can never and will never push my work – if people want my stuff they must ask for it & that applies to other people pushing for me. We might get pushed into the wrong box. If Ninette² ever did it, your share w^d go – my share (except the music) w^d go & probably my music w^d be played all at the wrong tempo. That may be its fate, but we won’t ask for that. I know I suffer from inertia in these matters, but I can’t do otherwise. I was willing to work like billy-o for our original scheme – but now!
It will be lovely to see you at Hereford.³
I like the sonnet. But I suppose you w^d not consider transposing the last two lines to make more climax. Shall I challenge Noyes for betraying a lovely woman?
The local farmer has just said he will take our derelict hay – so I am sweating at piling it up.
Love from

RVW

P.S. What we must face is that Douglas does not want to do it – his mood is full of America. He wishes he could say so openly – I gave him a chance saying “Do you want to be out of this? I shall understand”

1. Amy Stoddart. Douglas Kennedy, director of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, had pulled out of a supporting a planned performance of Epithalamion. See footnote to VWL1593.
2. Ninette de Valois
3. At the Three Choirs Festival due to take place on 3 September. The outbreak of war intervened.