THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

12 Dec 1930

My Dear Burnard
My best wishes for your happiness – I do hope I shall see you & your Phyllis one of these days again.
I was much interested in your letter & will look at your compositions with great interest & will do my best for them.
“L’Allegro” is a great theme and ought to inspire great music & I am proud that you sh^d care to dedicate the songs to me.
As regards coming permanently to England – don’t you think that you can do so much greater & more permanent work spreading the gospel in the virgin soil of Australia than in overcrowded England? I know this is a hard saying to receive and an easy one to say. But supposing you could go down to posterity as having sown the seeds of a great musical culture in Australia?
My love to you both
Yrs
R Vaughan Williams