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.

Search the letters

Featured Letter

from Vaughan Williams, Ralph, 1872-1958 to Maconchy, Elizabeth, 1907-1994

Letter No. VWL1926

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Elizabeth Maconchy

Letter No.: VWL1926

The White Gates,
Dorking.

Aug 13 [1944]

Dearest Betty

I listened to Puck1 – & have been waiting to coordinate my ideas about it. – I feel I am going to like much of it – but I feel baffled at present – the atmosphere does not seem clear at present.  I do not know whether you want it to be gay or sinister – at present it seems rather to fall between 2 stools.  The Goat I definitely like straight away & the Lovers – the tinkers seems to me definitely too short and not to have time to say any thing – do make it into a larger piece
Evening seems to me not worthy of the rest in distinction of style.
But, dearest Betty, you know how impossible it is to judge of a brand new work absolutely on first hearing.  So we want to hear it several times
All my love

Uncle Ralph 

1.  A suite from Maconchy’s ballet, Puck Fair had been performed at the Proms on 5 August 1944 by Boult and the BBC Orchestra.  Puck Fair is a traditional event which takes place each year in Killorglin, Co. Kerry. Maconchy had grown up in Ireland and the full version of the ballet was first performed there.

Back to all letters

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