THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking, SURREY.

11th October, 1950.

Dear Gerald 

Thank you so much for Lily Kettlewell’s brochure, which I will give to our Secretary.¹ Also for the Choral Prelude² which I want to see very much.
I will give Harvey Allen’s name to Steuart Wilson, but I rather believe they have already made their selection.³ 
Many thanks for your birthday congratulations. 
My love to Joyce
Yrs
RVW

(R. Vaughan Williams). 

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

1. Lily Kettlewell, contralto. Presumably for the Secretary of the Leith Hill Musical Festival.
2. Finzi had arranged Parry’s organ prelude on Rockingham (`When I survey the wondrous cross’) for strings.
3. Steuart Wilson moved from the BBC to Covent Garden in October 1950; perhaps this refers to Hervey Alan, the opera singer.