THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

June 1st [1948]

Dearest Grace
It wd be lovely to see you on June 8^th – as early or as late as you like – or w^d it be more convenient to you to come down for the night of the 7^th – we have a spare room for you
I am so glad Jill has woken up at last – Give her my love though I don’t think she loves me any more since I refused to do music for a silly film about how many sausages Stanley Spencer has for breakfast.¹
Don’t expect too much “instruction” from me – My film music never satisfies me at the film recording. As a matter of fact I score in my usual way & leave it to … or Ernest Irving to fake it up.
I know the silly books say don’t use horns – I think they are very good – but they sound very loud – while Tpts & Trombones sound soft – I have often used Basses pizz – but they want reinforcing – as indeed the bass does all through – For this reason I find the Tuba very useful.
More when we meet
Love
Uncle Ralph

1. Jill Craigie, film director, who had commissioned Williams to compose a score for the film Blue Scar. The film VW refers to is probably Out of chaos (1944).