THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

[1930]

My Dear Grace
I am so glad about the Farrar prize – you were also put down ad proxime for the Sullivan & this I hoped w^d have been printed in the list – but it wasn’t.¹
You must come up for Betty’s² evening & we will try to meet if you will tell me where you will be staying – though I will not interfere with any one nice & young you may want to make an appointment with.
Its all right about the parts of the suite³ that’s my birthday present (whenever your birthday is) I think it’s quite soon to have the suite tried over by the Welsh orchestra – I will try & arrange for Sargent to do it at the beginning of next term but he is very elusive.⁴
I’m sorry I can’t answer your question about the Bach C# minor – because all my copies are in London stupidly – I … score
But my darling Grace – it’s not my cheque. I told you its a bit of a sum of £50 which has been entrusted to me by the committee of the Leith Hill Festival to use for musicians as I think fit.
& I think that to help your composer with the awful expence of band parts is a v. good way of using some of the money. Besides it will give a job to Lilian Mukle (who badly needs it) or any one else you like to employ – so please use it & please me
Your loving Uncle Ralph

1. Williams won the Ernest Farrar composition prize at the Royal College of Music in 1930. The Sullivan prize was another composition prize at the Royal College of Music.
2. Elizabeth Maconchy, a fellow student and composer.
3. Presumably the Suite for orchestra (1932)
4. Malcolm Sargent, the conductor