THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Hotel-Suisse
Ospedalette-Ligure

[About 30th] Dec. 1913

Dear Mr Barter

I cannot thank you enough for your long and interesting letter – it only makes me long all the more to have been there – and to wish that the work was 1000 times better than it is – I know so well now the weak places – & the places where I didn’t do what I wanted to – & the places where I did not follow my real impulses – but some silly considerations came in the way (I imagine that all composers suffer from this) – I wish I c^d do it all over again now!¹
You say that you know me through my work – & I really believe you do – for you told me all the things I wanted to hear – especially about the two factory-girls.
Thank you once again – I do hope we shall have an opportunity of meeting in the flesh one of these days.
Please send me your annual report when it comes out, as you have kindly done before.
Yrs sincerely

R. Vaughan Williams

P.S. I thoroughly agree with you about those dreadful string parts – I am quoting what you say to B&H.²

1. i.e. at their performance of A Sea Symphony – see VWL342.
2. Breitkopf & Härtel.