THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

St. Paul’s Girls’ School,
Brook Green, Hammersmith, W.6.

Sep 1, [1933]

Dear R
Thanks for letter re the concerto¹.  I can quite believe that a slow pace for the fugue would make a big difference.  How I wish I could have heard it.  Thanks also for sending Jane’s Wassail.
It is difficult to thank you for last night² because I’ve said it all before.  I went expecting a real treat but I doubt if I’ve ever been so carried away by it before – which is saying a great deal.
And I’m going to repeat myself – it’s the very essence of you.
Which is one of the two reasons (the other being that it is a beautiful work of art) why it is such an important event in my life.
It was a stroke of either a) genius or b) unconscious humour to do it just after Hindemith.  It reminded me of the first definite idea of life I learnt while still in my cradle.  Namely, that music is a nice thing.
yr
G

1.  VW’s Piano Concerto.
2.  Holst had heard the Pastoral Symphony conducted by the composer on 31 August.