RVW’s Letters

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.

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Featured Letter

from Vaughan Williams, Ralph, 1872-1958 to Le Fleming, Christopher, 1908-1985

Letter No. VWL4132

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Christopher le Fleming

Letter No.: VWL4132

13 Cheyne Walk
S.W.3

Sunday, [January, ?1927]

Sunday
Dear Mr. Le Fleming
Saturday will suit me admirably.  I wonder if it would be possible to get the old man earlier in the afternoon i.e. to take half a day off if we made it up to him?  I have tried this before with success.  I could then come down by an earlier train than 12.30 and have more time.
I have just telephoned the substance of your letter to Miss Maud Karpeles, the Secretary of the English Folk Dance Society and she is very anxious to come, though I warned her not to expect too much.  She is very much interested in folk song as well as folk-dance and has had some experience in noting them and so would therefore be very useful in helping us.
I cannot help thinking that it would be a mistake to have too large an audience for the old gentleman – it might put him off and I think Miss Karpeles, you & I might then be able to note the songs between us.  After all, if the singer has anything interesting to give us this will only be a preliminary visit.
It is most kind of you to offer to put us up but are you sure this is quite convenient?  Also I should have to leave first thing on Sunday morning so would it not be better for you if we went back on Saturday night?  I see there is a late train from Salisbury which does not appear to be very far off & perhaps we should be able to hire a car to take us there.  It is splendid of you to have arranged all this.
yours sincerely
R Vaughan Williams1

1.  Signed by VW.

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A teacher's advice is not meant to be taken like a Pill but thought about & then: 1) adopted, or (2) rejected, or (perhaps best of all) (3) a 3rd course suggests itself from thinking the matter over.

RVW letter to GRACE WILLIAMS 1920

New York on the 26th, lecture at Yale on the 1st. Sail on the 4th. Ralph is terrifically well and bouncy and THRIVES on milkshakes and butterscotch sundaes.

UVW letter from New York to Michael and Eslyn Kennedy 1954

Most of Stravinsky bores me. I wish he even shocked me: especially the Rite of Spring...but I do like Symphony of Psalms, Les Noces, and the Suite for Violin and Pianoforte, of which I once heard a record under very peculiar circumstances, of which I will tell you one day.

RVW letter to MICHAEL KENNEDY 1957

You have never lost your invention but it has not developed enough.  Your best – your most original and beautiful style or ‘atmosphere’ is an indescribable sort of feeling as if one was listening to very lovely lyrical poetry.

GUSTAV HOLST letter to RVW 1903