THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

13 Cheyne Walk
Chelsea

November 30th [1911]

Dear Professor Murray

I am so sorry I have had to alter the date but I received no answer for nearly 10 days from M^r Duncan¹ and then his secretary wrote to say that December 7^th was impossible. Could you be at 57^A Cadogan Square by 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday December 5^th. We shall start rehearsing the music at 10.30 so if you cared to come up by the earlier train you would hear it in the rough. Indeed I am afraid the whole performance will be very rough as many of them are amateurs and we have had very little time for rehearsal but I hope you may get some idea of what it will sound like. M^rs Wheeler has kindly promised to be there and will go through the music for Electra.²
The selection we are doing is (a) ‘Onward O labouring tread’ and following chorus from Electra (b) ‘O for the ships of Troy’ from Electra
(c) ‘Thou immaculate on high’ from The Bacchae.³
Yours very truly

R. Vaughan Williams

1. Augustin Duncan. See VWL376.
2. The actress, Penelope Wheeler, was a close friend of Gilbert Murray, and was to take the part of Electra. See Wilson, op.cit.
3. See Catalogue of Works 1911/4.