THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

c/o 8, St Peter’s Square,
Manchester, 2.

11/ii/57

My dear Ralph

After our Festival Hall Concert to-morrow I am off (with Evelyn) to Scandinavia to give No 8 in Gothenburg on the 21st.¹  Also I am giving it its first Zurich perf: May 17th.  We played it last night at the Free Trade to an enormous audience and the greatest enthusiasm.²  I wonder how many Symphonies have become so immediately loved?
Do hope you both keep well.
Am fine now & happy & grateful to be back at work.
Much love to you both.
Ever,

John

P.S. Cheltenham Panel have chosen a Symphony by one of my boys, Arthur Butterworth (2nd Trumpet) without any prompting from me; probably wld have had the obverse effect.³ Feel rather pleased.

Enclosed for your amusement

1. Symphony no. 8
2. Free Trade Hall, Manchester
3. Arthur Butterworth (b. 1923): Symphony no.1.