THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking, Surrey.

12th March, 1952.

Dear Gerald

I am sorry for the first page of your letter. I really do not like that mistrust you seem to have felt in your own work.¹ After all there have been several settings of those words.
I like the look of yours very much.
As a practical suggestion: Why not simply put a note that it may also be sung by sopranos and contraltos, the contraltos, of course, singing an octave higher. If they could not read bass clef they could easily learn it, and if necessary could sub rosa copy out the part in treble clef for themselves.
As regards the low G on Page 1, I suggest a high G instead which would obviate the difficulty for your contraltos. Later on I prefer C to C#.
It looks a good work and I should like to hear it; also the part song which is not so obvious, but I think may also be good.
By the way I first started criticising “Red Roses” before I discovered.²  
Love to Joyce
Yrs

RVW 

Gerald Finzi, Esq.,
Ashmansworth,
Near Newbury, Berks.

1. This work not identified.
2. This reference is not clear.