THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking, Surrey.

1st. April, 1953.

Dear Frank,

I have read carefully through my book, “National Music”. I have come to the conclusion that it would be impossible to pick out certain chapters for the following reasons:
1. I find in the essays I have sent to the Press I have repeated in slightly different words much of what I say in “National Music”. Therefore I should have to alter either one or the other.
2. I find that in “National Music” I have repeated almost word for word much that I have said before – e.g. a long paragraph out of my early essay, “Who wants a British Composer”.¹
3. The lectures, having been given to an American audience about 1931 made references to America, also to the year in which they were written, which would have to be taken out.²
I suppose the press would not consider re-printing “National Music” as it stands? I think that is the only thing to do with it other than leaving it alone altogether.
Yours sincerely,

R. Vaughan Williams

(R. Vaughan Williams).

Alan Frank, Esq.,
Oxford University Press,
44, Conduit St., W.1.

P.S. I have returned the book to Miss Karpeles

1. Perhaps a misremembering of the title “Who Wants the English Composer?”
2. In fact VW gave the Mary Flexner Lectures at Bryn Mawr in 1932.