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 Western, Joan

Letter No. VWL802

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Joan Western

Letter No.: VWL802

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

October 6 [1935]

Dear Mrs  Western

I think the Canterbury suggestion is very good except that I suppose it will not materialize till next summer by which time I hope the fund1 will be closed & operations at least in progress.2
I shall be very grateful if you will attend the BBC meeting.
As regards Miss Cohen I think if we can get the Tudor Singers it will be best and as I am their president they might be induced to come.3
As regards the Xmas magazine I suppose I must do what they want if I can think of anything – including a photograph.
I hope it is clear that some of the profits of this magazine will be definitely for our fund.  That must be stipulated before we contribute.
I return Captain Irving’s letter.4
Yours sincerely

R. Vaughan Williams

1.  Gustav Holst Memorial Fund.
2.  See VWL800.
3.  The Tudor Singers under their conductor Harry Stubbs regularly performed works by Holst and VW.
4.  See VWL800.

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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