THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Oct. 18 [1950]

Dear Adrian

(1) I want to thank you and your orchestra and the Philharmonic choir for a fine performance of my 5 T. P’s¹ – It came through well on the whole though I always feel that the engineers have not yet discovered that horns harps & timps must be modified.
(2) I see you are doing “King Arthur” at the Phil – I do not want to butt in where I am not wanted – but I do feel strongly that to do the music with no dramatic connecting line is worse than useless.  I am sending, in case it is of any use, a summary of the drama (arranged from Dryden by Fanny Farrer though not acknowledged by her) which we did at Dorking -sometimes I started the introduction to various numbers “under” the words.²
Yrs

R Vaughan Williams

1. Five Tudor Portraits (Catalogue of Works 1935/5). The Third Programme broadcast was at 8.30 pm on Friday 13 October, as part two of a concert with Boult, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Choir, Astra Desmond and Gordon Clinton. Part 1 at 7.30 was Walton’s Symphony.

2. VW conducted Purcell’s King Arthur at Leith Hill Musical Festival on Tuesday 6 April 1948.