THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Beech Knoll
Aldbourne,
Wilts

April 14th [1935]

Dear Uncle Ralph
 
I was purposely not going to write to you about the sym¹; in spite of what I felt about it, because you always acknowledge letters & I can imagine how many you’ll have to tackle. However, there’s something else about which I have to write, but I must first say how tremendously I admired it. Even the slow mvt, which sounded like nothing on earth on two pianos, sounded wonderful on Wed: I expected the rest to sound something like it did, but didn’t expect to be so completely bowled over. All congrats. Fergie² wondered whether we sh^d have to wait for Jaques³ to retire from the Bach choir before a min: score comes out!
About the other thing. I mentioned the possibility of doing an article on Gurney. Since then there seems to be a better scheme on foot. After Fox-Strangways’⁴ reference to him (in the Observer review of HPG’s life of Stanford⁵) it looked as though a better time for drawing attention to his work w^d not be found. The idea is that at least 2 articles sh^d appear & Foxy likes this idea for his October issue. Walter de la Mare is going to be asked to do one on the verse: W^d you be willing to write something about his music? Please don’t think that this is a case of shirking responsibility & shoving it on to your already rather laden shoulders! Honestly, its much more important for Gurney’s reputation if the seal is set by you, rather than by an unknown person, or by the wrong person.
I dont quite know whether an ‘article’ is wanted or a benediction, but the main thing is, if the scheme goes ahead, w^d you be willing to write anything.
Forgive me for troubling. Our love to all.
Yrs

Gerald Finzi

1.  The Fourth Symphony
2.  Howard Ferguson
3.  i.e. Reginald Jacques
4.  A.H. Fox-Strangways, editor of the quarterly Music & Letters, and music critic of the Observer
5.  Harry Plunket Greene, Charles Villiers Stanford, London 1935.