THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

January 10th 1953.

Dear O B E¹

I wish I could claim to have originated such an obvious bit of recognition of great and good work.  I know you do not care about honours, but it will [give]² great pleasure to your dear choir.  I think it must have come direct from the “fountain of honour”.  I do not think it can have been the P.M. himself, because, according to Epstein, he has not yet begun to understand what art means.³ However, and wherever it came from, it is the right thing for the right moment.
Yrs

RVW

1. Barter had been awarded the OBE in the New Year Honours, presumably for services to music in Bristol.
2. Omitted in original.
3. The Prime Minister at this time was Winston Churchill.