THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

13 Cheyne Walk

[5th October 1906]

My dear Randolph

It is delightful to get a letter from you – especially one asking me to do anything for you – I’ve  looked through “Hilf mir Schwester”¹  I see no reason why the whole song sh^d not be adapted for the organ – but the bit at the end after the voice stops (is that what you mean by ‘wedding march”?) is only about 3½ bars – rather too short by its self.²
I should love to go and beard that brute at St Margaret’s with you.  I advise you to make out a complete programme of all the music you’d like played and tell him to play that and nothing else – otherwise he’ll play muck and make everybody sick – think of all your favourite music and I’ll select from it what will go on the organ – most pianoforte music of the slower kind and songs all make nice organ pieces.³
I’m just back from one day at the Birmingham festival – I started at 6.30 a.m. got in two concerts and got back at 5.30 a.m. – I just saw M^rs Stephens for one moment – she was so nice & came across & spoke to me – I have it on my conscience that I said that nobody sang well at the “Kingdom” except Miss Foster – I ought also to have included Miss Nicholls who sang beautifully also. Do tell her if you see her.⁴
Yrs

RVW

P.S.  I’ve just heard that I’m going to see Iris⁵ at last!  A.⁶ went to call on her yesterday and asked her home to tea here tomorrow and we hear now that she can come – that will be splendid.

1. ‘Hilf mir ihr Schwester’, no.5 of Schumann’s song cycle about love and marriage, Frauenliebe und -leben, op.42.
2. Wedgwood’s wedding was to take place on 24th October 1906.
3. The organist at St Margaret’s Westminster at this date was Reginald Goss-Custard.
4. Winifred Stephens was the sister of Agnes Nicholls, and married to Jeffrey Stephens of the Gramophone Co.; Muriel Foster and Agnes Nicholls sang in the first performance of Elgar’s The Kingdom at the Birmingham Festival on 3 October 1906, which VW had attended. The visit is not mentioned in R.V.W.: a biography.
5.Ralph Wedgwood’s fiancée, Iris Pawson.
6. Adeline VW.