THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Sunday [1940s]

Belov Boo
We were very pleased that Bernard got to Cambridge, but what sort of orch[estra] had they? R fears CUMS?
[…]
R went to Croydon yesterday – to hear Elgar’s Kingdom – an act of friendship to Mr Kirby the conductor¹ – he had lunch with the artists & cttee & made play with the lovely contralto Miss Ferrier (who you admired) as well as Isobel Baillie. The performance was good but the hall a disgrace to Croydon. I actually persuaded R to take an umbrella & still more wonderful he brought it back.
[…]
Yr A

1. The concert was on Saturday 5 May 1945, at the City Hall, North End, Croydon; a Croydon Philharmonic Concert with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alan Kirby, with Isobel Baillie, Kathleen Ferrier, Eric Greene and William Parsons. Kirby had conducted Five Tudor Portraits at a similar event in 1937 (4 Dec) and there were several collaborations to follow. This was possibly VW’s first encounter with Ferrier, who sang in Riders to the Sea in 1948.