THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Sunday [26 January 1936]

Beloved Boo

You may chance to hear R’s setting of these lines tonight – I don’t know where they are to be fitted in.  Walford Davies asked him to write something last Thurs – at first R said he couldn’t – Then a few hours later he found these lines from Samson Agonistes & in 24 hours it was done – Sat morning they were engraved – & Walford D rang up last night to say he had rehearsed the chorus & it would be done some time tonight –  O how I hope it will sound all right – I believe it will – & arn’t the words good & right.¹
Shall look forward to hearing your plans tomorrow – We are ready for you any moment.  Adrian conducts the Symphony on Thursday² & rehearsal will be – I suppose – 10 am –
Hon is busy making a black dress!
Hope yr outfit will be pleasing – You see streets are closed 8.30 on Tuesday!
Yours

A

Nothing is here for tears, nothing to wail,
Nothing but well and fair
And what may quiet us in a death so noble.
Let us go fetch him hence and solemnly attend
With silent obsequy and funeral train
Home to his fathers’ house.
There will we build him a monument
With all his trophies hung and acts enrolled
Thither shall all the valiant youth resort
And from his memory influence their breasts
To matchless valour and adventures high

Adapted from Milton’s Samson Agonistes.

Ralph’s setting of Milton for King’s broadcast service.

1.  ‘Nothing is here for tears’, Catalogue of Works 1936/1, was included in the broadcast that evening, a few days after the death of King George V.  This passage is printed in RVW: a biography p.210.
2.  The Fourth Symphony – see RVW: a biography p.211. See also the passage here about all the girls wearing black, perhaps inspired by this unquoted part of the letter. Boult conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra in his third performance of the Fourth Symphony on 30 January 1936 at the Queen’s Hall, London.