THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

[between 15 January and February, 1936]

Dear Miss Sharp
I have been revising & shortening Finale of Act II – the result is I’ve had to leave out a lot of words (including alas more quick lines which Foss did not like & we did – but the quick music has gone).  I’ve made a sort of “canto” of all your lines.  I do not want the sentiments I’ve too violently contrasted (except the Hobgoblins but I have tried to give nobody anything very off inappropriate to his or her or its character of course after what you do to pick as long as you keep the metre.
Yrs
R Vaughan Williams

Magic Kiss Act II Final ensemble
Ensemble:
Tor: Too dark for me has been my fate
Amy. Her love leaves her lips too late
Gall: What use is now her youthful bloom
(both) The poison kiss has been their doom
Chorus (servants etc) Too dark has been her fate Her love leaves her lips too late

Ensemble:
Tor.  Great heavens come and hide me, Ah cruel fate thuus to deride me
Angelica  O Gods have you no compassion?  Is pity out of fashion?
Gall.  Her door she can no longer shut, Her father’s curse is now begun
Amaryllus  And was it death within that wondrous kiss, Then welcome death in that one moments kiss

Hob gob Lob)
No mortal physician
This indisposition
Is likely to cure
Revenge is secure
Too late, foolish mortals!
Deathopens his portals
Away
Your princeling must die
Away in the forest
Great Dipsacus triumphs*
For vengeance is nigh
* Is “chortles” too slangy for the situation – I know this spoils the rhyme, what do you think
Chorus  All’s gone amiss
For one poor kiss.
Amaryllus (Gradually sinking back)
Tor:  Beloved farewell once more for ever
Amy & Gall: Too latem, too late, it is their fate
For Farewell for ever (she sinks to the ground)
Hob, Gob, Lob, Cho  our duties done, away! away!
chorus. The P.K etc  Distant cho.  the P.K etc.

P.S.
I have been revising the ensemble “North wind, south wind” in Act I & I find that the best 4 lines to keep are the first 4 i.e.
“O come …
… abated”
Also in the new flower girl chorus I plead guilty to having transposed 2 lines (it fits the music better)
“Not for fun if she but knew it
only ’cause we’ve paid to to it”
RVW

The gradual romantic growth of dawn.
By the way do we keep the present end of Angelica’s first song with Gallanthus echoing her “Dallyo” – I hope so but if not I must alter the end of the music.
Act II
I still fell it very awkward the Hobgobs entering with the flower girls (especially if they are to be all girls) – I still feel our original opening was better (but smch shortened bits as the music and dialogue)
How are the flower girls to get off – musn’t we have a repeat of some of their entry chorus?
Will you keep in mind for a sad little song the “appendix” which we cut out of Act II (Dear love for a little thing task) (The metre of course not the words) as quite a much better tune
(I thought once that it w^d do for Tormentilla’s new song which I believe she is to have for her entrance in Act I – But it won’t do if it’s metrically too much like her next song – I think Trochaic as her next song is frantic)