THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking, Surrey.

26th July, 1950.

Dear Frank,

In answer to your several letters:
As regards Miss Elsie Payne, I think she had better not touch “Pilgrim’s Progress” until Covent Garden have made a definite announcement about it. Do you agree to this?¹
I have told Webster² of Covent Garden that he can have as many copies as he wants now of Acts I, II and III, and told him to apply direct to you.
I feel much gratified at your idea of printing my Partita³; which reminds me that there is another work of mine which I do not think has had proper recognition. That is my Suite “Flemish Farm”. To my mind it contains some of my best music and I feel sure that if, instead of calling it “A Film Suite” I had called it a Symphony, it would have been treated with more respect. As it is I think it has only had one performance. Of course this is not a question of printing.⁴
I have had a very humble letter from Mr. Trethewey. Perhaps I was rather too severe with him, so I have now thanked him for his courteous letter and told him that all is well with you.⁵
Yours sincerely,

R Vaughan Williams

(R. Vaughan Williams).

Alan Frank, Esq.,

1. See VWL2969.
2. David Webster, General Administrator of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
3. Catalogue of Works 1938/5a.
4. See Catalogue of Works 1943/4. The film music survives only in this suite. VW said that two themes in the Sixth Symphony were developed from music not eventually used in the film.
5. The background to this is not clear.