Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Eila Mackenzie

Letter No. VWL3924

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Eila Mackenzie

Letter No.: VWL3924

As from
10 Hanover Terrace
N.W 1
London

[late 1954]

Dear Mrs Mackenzie
I have been experimenting with 4 of the Gaelic Songs, here are rough copies of the results.
– I have not attempted to write in the Gaelic words which I cannot always read. I have tried to make the tenor part easy – it usually doubles either the bass or the alto.
Please let me know if this is at all the kind of think you want¹
Yrs sincerely
R Vaughan Williams

P.S. I am keeping the rest in case I feel moved to do some more.

1. Mrs Eila Mackenzie had apparently sent some Gaelic songs to VW to arrange. Mackenzie later published an article ‘Seven Gaelic songs’ in the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 9, no. 3 (December 1962).

To:

Mackenzie, Eila
From:

Vaughan Williams, Ralph, 1872-1958
Scribe:

Vaughan Williams, Ralph, 1872-1958
Subject:

Folk songs
Format:

Letter
General Notes:

Date from context; the songs seem to have been sent to VW at his invitation in September 1954, and in May 1955 he sent two more arrangements back to Eila Mackenzie (see VWL3926 and VWL3927).
Offered for sale at Sotheby’s sale May 2000, lot 267.
Location Of Copy:

British Library

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