Search the letters

The Vaughan Williams Foundation has made over 5000 items freely available: chiefly letters from Ralph Vaughan Williams, but including some responses which shed light on the subject matter, and also a number of letters from Adeline and Ursula Vaughan Williams. These provide further information and often include messages or observations from Ralph, and there are also letters from Adeline and Ursula written on behalf of the couple. The text of letters written by RVW and UVW remain the copyright of the Foundation.

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The letters are in tabular form and can be sorted by column, or filtered by any keyword including name, musical title, year or subject (singly or in combination). Partial matches will also be found, e.g. searching “sky” will also find “Stravinsky”. To search for a phrase use inverted commas, e.g. “New York”.

To search by letter number, include the prefix VWL, e.g. VWL123.

Filter letters

Letter No. Title Date Date on Letter
VWL285 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to G.E. Moore 18971015 [Mid October 1897]
VWL286 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to The Musician 18971027 October 27, l897
VWL287 Letter from Max Bruch to Ralph Vaughan Williams 18971031 31.10.97
VWL288 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Ralph Wedgwood 18971129 29.XI.97
VWL289 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980303 [3] March 1898
VWL290 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980328 [28 March 1898]
VWL291 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980402 2 April 1898
VWL292 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980409 9th April 1898
VWL293 Letter from Adeline Vaughan Williams to Ralph Wedgwood 18980409 April 9th [1898]
VWL294 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980504 4th May 1898
VWL295 Letter from Adeline Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980530 30th May [1898]
VWL296 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980604 1898 den 4ten Juni 5 Uhr 25 Min
VWL297 Letter from Adeline Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18980704 July 4th [1898]
VWL298 Letter from Adeline Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18991231 31st December [1899]
VWL299 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 18990129 Jan: 29th [?1899]
VWL300 Letter from Adeline Vaughan Williams to René Gatty 19001214 December 14th [1900?]
VWL301 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Francis Jenkinson 19000502 [May 2 1900]
VWL302 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Ralph Wedgwood 1910---- [?1910]
VWL303 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Gustav Holst 1910---- [1910?]
VWL304 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Edward J. Dent 1911---- [1911]
VWL305 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Cecil Sharp 1911---- [1911]
VWL306 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Ralph Wedgwood 1913---- [1913?]
VWL307 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Edward J. Dent 191001-- [?January 1910]
VWL308 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Edward J. Dent 19101201 [January 1910]
VWL309 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Edward J. Dent 191001-- [January 1910]
VWL310 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Ruth Charrington 191001-- [January 1910]
VWL311 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Ruth Charrington 191001-- [January 1910]
VWL312 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Gerald Finzi 19231117 17/11/23
VWL313 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Hubert Foss 19350329 March 29 [before 1935]
VWL314 Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Gerald Finzi 19350405 [5th April 1935]

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

He was one of the most 'complete' men I have ever known. He loved life, he loved work and his interest in all music was unquenchable and insatiable.

SIR JOHN BARBIROLLI, conductor

I was thunderstruck by the symphony last night - and hadn't expected to be. Jagged, pulsating and angry, from that very first clanging dissonance - how can it have come from the same source as the Tallis Fantasia?

AUDIENCE MEMBER, Newbury Festival