ABOUT THE LETTERS
Ralph Vaughan Williams’s correspondence - with his friends, family, pupils and fellow musicians - paints an intriguing portrait of the man, as well as providing fascinating insights into his major preoccupations: musical, personal and political.
The VWF database includes transcripts of over 5,000 items of annotated correspondence, fully indexed and searchable, which can all be read online. It includes all the letters of Ralph Vaughan Williams known to the editors and is an ongoing project. Find out more about the database.
The text of letters written by Ralph Vaughan Williams remains in the copyright of the Vaughan Williams Foundation and may not be further reproduced without the prior written consent of the Foundation.
Featured Letter
from Vaughan Williams, Ursula, 1911-2007 to Kennedy, Michael (George Michael Sinclair), 1926-2014
Letter No. VWL2845
Letter from Ursula Vaughan Williams to Michael and Eslyn Kennedy
Letter No.: VWL2845
From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.
July 24th [1954]
My dears
We are so delighted about Michael’s promotion1 – most exciting. I suppose he’ll be Editor in Chief before we know where we are. Swaying the thoughts of millions.
So glad you could come to Worcester – we went on to the Finzis & heard Rubbra play his new symphony 3 times on the pf.2 The others all then listened to broadcast quartets, but I sat & talked to Joy,3 incapable of further music. Ralph liked it very much. All last week I was one of the judges at the Spoken Poetry Festival, & much enjoyed the literary world – for a change.
Love from us both, & felicitations
Ursula.
1. Michael Kennedy had been promoted at the Daily Telegraph in Manchester.
2. i.e. Rubbra’s Symphony No. 6 (1954).
3. i.e. Joyce Finzi.
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Shelfmark:MS Mus. 159, ff.52-53
