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, Ralph, 1872-1958 to Van Dieren, Bernard, 1887-1936
Letter No. VWL4841
Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Bernard Van Dieren
Letter No.: VWL4841
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.
January 30 [1930]
Dear Mr Van Dieren
Of course I will willingly do all I can and I enclose a letter to the Prime Minister’s secretary which you can use or not as you like. But I want to make two suggestions –
(1) Before proceeding further would it not be better to find out whether it would be possible for Delius to receive an O.M.1 when there is already one musician (Elgar) who is a member of the Order – If only one musical O.M. is allowed at a time would it not be better to try for some other distinction?
(2) I presume you are asking several musicians besides myself to write – This I certainly think would be a good plan – it is the cumulative effect that is important in these to know the name of the Prime Minister’s Secretary – so perhaps if you decide to make use of my letter you would kindly address & forward it for me.
Yours sincerely
R Vaughan Williams
1. Order of Merit. In the event VW was awarded the honour after Elgar’s death.
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General Notes:
In the hand of AVW, signed by VW. Year estimated from context.
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Shelfmark:MS Mus. 1714/2/6, f. 149
