THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

13 Cheyne Walk
S.W.3

[11th March 1929]

My Dear Diana

I’ve already told you that I like being bothered when the right people bother (among whom I hope I may be able to count you).
As regards the ‘terzetto’ my memory is that the scoring is for “continuo” (i.e. cello & bass) with the harmonies filled up on pfte or organ. I arranged the part for cellos (playing the part) & c. Basses adding a few notes occasionally – with the pfte filling in the harmonies (as it should do at discretion in the whole cantata).¹
I hope the cello & bass parts have not disappeared out of the parts – I didn’t look through them when they last came home.
If they are not there the only thing to do will be to copy the cello part from the full score which I sent down with the parts. But you say something about a B. & H.² arrangement – if you have that & there is an arrangement of the upper parts for strings there w^d be no harm in using that – But ‘cello, bass & pfte is all that is in Bach’s original – Let me know, will you, how it stands?
Now I’m going to bother you – when is your performance? Because a man from Broadstairs has asked to borrow them for March 21st & I have told him to ask you to send it direct to him if you have done with it by then. Otherwise, of course, he must do without it.
I stupidly forgot your address & you may never get the letter.
His name is
F.E. Fisher F.R.C.O.
Rock Lodge
Stone Road
Broadstairs

C^d you get in touch with him?
Yrs

Ralph Vaughan Williams

1. VW does not appear to be referring to one of the three cantatas listed in his letter VWL664, nos. 6, 106 and 140, since none contains a `terzetto’ .
2. This probably refers to Breitkopf & Härtel, who regularly published Bach cantatas, rather than Boosey & Hawkes.