THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates
Westcott Road
Dorking

[16th October 1929]

My Dear Diana

Your letter reminds me of delightful afternoons & evenings in Worcester Cathedral, when you took pity on my loneliness and alleviated my cold (but thank heaven I didn’t catch it). But you mustn’t laugh at my boots – they are for use not for ornament.
Now for business
Don’t do the Elgar its awful (this in confidence).¹
Why not a Handel chorus – I haven’t got my lists with me – but I remember “Ye tutelar Gods”²  & a slow chorus which w^d go with it out of “Belshazzar” – or “Sing unto God” from Judas³ or (quite slow but v. fine) “Then round about the starry throne” and “Fixed in his everlasting seat” from Samson.
I sh^d think the Schubert w^d do very  well if 4 parts is not too formidable.
 ——-

I thought you all sang splendidly in my tune – I told Atkins⁴ so in a letter & I hope he passed it on.
 ——-
Do you ever come to London – I’m a country cousin now – but I go up occasionally from Dorking – so we might come across each other.
Yrs

R. Vaughan Williams

1. i.e. ‘Evening Scene’ which he had suggested in VWL666.
2. i.e. ‘Ye tutelar gods’ from Handel’s Belshazzar’s Feast.
3. i.e. ‘Sing unto God’ from Handel’s Judas Maccabeus.
4. Ivor Atkins, organist of Worcester Cathedral 1897-1950.