THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Wed [3rd January 1934]

Belov Boo.

Morris’s Symph came through perfectly¹ – It sounded very distinguished to me – The 1^st movement just slightly like R’s ‘Pastoral’ in sound. The 2^nd movement very delicate & curious, the last more rhythmic & perhaps the most attractive – I think the end of it all might have been more emotional –
R liked it very much – but says the form is a bit too clear for the emotional content & that Adrian² didn’t put enough passion into it – & never really got inside it – but certainly it was marvellously clear to follow – good applause from QH³ w^h was a good half full- w^h was remarkable considering the fog.  Everyone who had a wireless must have listened in with pleasure – Morris is such a good broadcaster – his scoring so clear.⁴
All is well with us – R going to London for Folk dance Fest on Saturday⁵ –
Morris & Emmie⁶ are coming here tomorrow or Friday – such a good visit from Mac Lettle[?] & Mary⁷  –
Mac has done good work in stirring up Ad’s head master!⁸
Yours

A

Mrs Curle
c/o Charles Tennyson Esq
Farring ford
Freshwater
I of Wight

1. AVW listened to the performance on the radio.
2. Adrian Boult
3. Queen’s Hall
4. R.O. Morris’s Sinfonia in C major (unpublished and not mentioned in The New Grove, but listed in Grove 5).
5. This Festival, at the Royal Albert Hall on January 6th, featured a masque “The Turning of the Year” with folk music arranged by VW, and the first performance of The Running Set.
6. R.O. Morris and Emmeline Morris.
7. Unidentified
8. Adam was Cordelia’s son.