THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

[19 September 1937]

Dear Imogen

How dear of you to send me that message.
They played magnificently.¹
I hope the book goes well.²
I have been thinking of two things Gustav once said to me – I don’t know if he ever wrote them to any body – I hope he did for they ought to be recorded
1) About “Aristocracy in art” – art is not for all but only for the chosen few – but the only way to find those few is to bring art to everyone – then the artists have a sort of masonic signal by which they recognise each other in the crowd – he put it much better than that – but that is the gist.
2) That the artist is born again & starts again afresh with every new work.
Love from

Uncle Ralph

1. VW had been to Gloucester to conduct a performance of Dona Nobis Pacem in the Three Choirs Festival at Gloucester. See R.V.W.: a biography, p.215.
2. Imogen Holst was preparing Gustav Holst: a biography, published by the Oxford University Press in 1938.