THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

September 19th, 1938

Dr. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Dear Dr. Vaughan Williams,

My husband, Alan Bush, has not yet returned from his visit to Russia, and in his abseence has asked me to approach you on the following matter:

In May 1939 the London Cooperative Joint Education Committee are holding their Annual Contest for affiliated choirs.  For the first time in the history of the Cooperative Movements, the test pieces for the Contest will be specially written and composed for the occasion and will deal with subjects associated in one way or another with the ideas of cooperation, peace and democracy.

The committee asked my husband to approach the most prominent English authors and composers on this matter and I therefor write on his behalf.  Miss Sylvia Townsend Warner has agreed to collaborate and has just completed the enclosed poem as the text of a four part female chorus, to serve as the test piece for the Female Choirs entering the contest.  He wishes me to ask you if you would feel it posible to help this enterprise and if you would consent to composer the music for these verses?

He believes that you will agree that the idea and purpose of the Contest deserve the widest support.  No explanation is needed of the encouragement and tremendous prestige which would be given to the Contest if your name were to be included among the contributors and both the committee and my husband hope very much that you will consider composing this work for them.

Yours sincerely,