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 Boulanger, Nadia, 1887-1979
Letter No. VWL4263
Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Nadia Boulanger
Letter No.: VWL4263
From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.
January 11 [1937?]
Dear Mlle Boulanger
I am glad to say that the Director of the College of Music is allowing Stanley Bate another fifty pounds – this ought I think to last him some time if he is careful.1
The Director would be grateful if you could find time to send him a short report on his progress and your opinion of his talent and especially whether he is making an effort to overcome his technical weaknesses.
It is such a pleasure to me to think that he is having the inestimable advantage of studying with you.
Yours very sincerely
R Vaughan Williams
1. Bate was studying with Boulanger in Paris, on VW’s recommendation. The Director of the Royal College of Music at this time was Sir Hugh Allen.
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In the hand of AVW, signed by VW.
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Shelfmark:NLA-114 (209)
