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 Karpeles, Maud, 1885-1976

Letter No. VWL4873

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Maud Karpeles

Letter No.: VWL4873

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Dorking,
Surrey.

[6 May 1937]

Dear Maud
This is very distressing – I did read the minutes – but I suppose not carefully – for I did not notice anything beyond the usual wrangles.1
What my position is I don’t quite know – I adumbrated retiring to Douglas2 some time ago – & I certainly do not want to remain on a truncated B.A.C.3 – but I do not want it to appear that there has been collusion between us. The one thing I shd like to remain on wd be the Journal subcommittee where I think I cd be useful (will you remain on this?)

I’ve been through the Sharp accomps and marked them4
Yes (which means yes
No (which means that either I don’t like the tune or the accomp)
Re which means that the accomp needs revision
I’ve had a shot at one or 2 myself. Shall I send what I have done or wait till I’ve done a few more
I’m sorry you didn’t like the production of H. the D.5 – I thought it 1st rate far the best there has been
Yrs
RVW

1. This letter was written in response to a letter of 4 May 1937, where Karpeles informed VW that she had resigned from the Executive Committee of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
2. Douglas Kennedy, Director of the Society.
3. Board of Artistic Control of the Society.
4. Perhaps for the folksongs to be included in the Novello school series.
5. Hugh the Drover, VW’s opera.

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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