THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Saturday Oct 21st [1916]

Dear V.

I was most touched by your letter.  I’ve indeed longed to be home in many ways during the last month – but in other ways I should not like to come home for good till everything is over or in some other normal way.¹
Remember me to all the Morleyites and wish them good luck from me – & I shall think of all your schoolgirls on all saints day.
I sometimes dread coming back to normal life with so many gaps – especially of course George Butterworth – he has left most of his MS to me – & now I hear that Ellis² is killed – out of those 7 who joined up together in August 1914 only 3 are left – I sometimes think now that it is wrong to have made friends with people much younger than oneself – because soon there will only be the middle aged left – & I have got out of touch with most of my contemporary friends – but then there is always you & thank Heaven we have never got out of touch & I don’t see why we ever should.
Goodbye.
Yrs

RVW

1. VW was serving as a medical orderly in France during the war.
2. Francis Bevis Ellis, promoter of a series of concerts of modern orchestral music, in which the first performance of A London Symphony was given (conducted by Geoffrey Toye). Ellis had been killed in action in France on 27 September.