THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.

March 3rd 1957.

Dear Arundell,
I want to tell you how much Ursula and I admired your production of Joan at Cambridge.¹ The dramatic effect of the lighting was wonderful, and I admired so much the way you made use of the actual disabilites of amateur players – for instance, their bad habit of doing their gestures in time to the music, which you converted from a liability to an asset. I fear we neither admired the piece itself, as drama, very much, and the music, though effective seemed to me, quite undistinguished: though there were charming moments such as the childrens’ folk song and dance.
I am sorry we could not see you to say thank you, but we heard you were not in the house on Thursday afternoon.
R Vaughan Williams

1. Possibly Honegger’s dramatic oratorio Jeanne d’ Arc au bûcher.