THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates
Dorking

Sept 27 [about 1940?]

Dear Howes
The story is as follows:-
I was going out of Birmingham Town Hall after the 1^st performance of Gerontius when I met Lady Stanford and she said, as far as I can remember “Is that not a fine work” – I can only presume that she would not have said this if Stanford who was also there had not already said it to her. You should also write to Howells and get a story from him of what Stanford said to him about the finale of the 1^st part of Gerontius.¹
Yours sincerely

R Vaughan Williams

1. “I hate the man but I’d give anything to have written that” added in another hand at foot of letter, presumably the comment alluded to here.