THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking,

29th April, 1948

Dear Dent

The gown¹ has safely arrived. I hope I shall see the portrait one day.²
Thank you very much for what you say about the Symphony; but I think that nine will be rather too large a family.³
Yrs

R. Vaughan Williams

Professor E.J. Dent
17, Cromwell Place,
London S.W.7

1.  VW’s Mus. Doc. gown was left to him by Alan Gray (UVW) and was worn by him at two coronatons (1936 and 1953).
2.  Possibly a portrait of Dent.
3.  The sixth symphony had been given its first performance in the Royal Albert Hall on 21 April. Doubtless Dent had made some remark encouraging VW to complete a Beethovenian group of nine – which of course he eventually did.