THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Friday [May, 1922]

Dear R
It arrived on Wednesday but I only got It yesterday and shall not be able to look at It properly until tomorrow morning.
To receive a [?’Home’] and a Mass¹ in one week from the same person is a bit overwhelming.
Bless you for both.  How on earth Morleyites are ever going to learn the Mass I don’t know.  It is quite beyond us but still further beyond us is the idea that we are not going to do it.  I’ve suggested that they buy copies now and then when we meet in September I’ll sack anyone who doesn’t know it by heart!
I’m thinking that the best plan for next session will be to chuck J S B and at the first concert do a lot of Byrd and a little R V W – then at the summer concert do a little Byrd and a lot of R V W.
We are all tremendously proud of the dedication.
yrs ever
G

1.  Mass in G minor, published by Curwen in May 1922 with printed dedication “To Gustav Holst and his Whitsuntide Singers”.