THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

[July 1897]

Dear von Holst

Excuse this paper but I have no other.
I am leaving this damned place in October¹ and going abroad.
Suppose you were offered it would you consider the matter?²  The screw is £50 and the minimum duties:
Monday: boys any time after 6.0
Wed:  boys 7.0 service 8.0-9.0
Thurs:  full practice 8.30 or 8.15 till 10.0 or past if you can get them to stop.
Sunday: 11.0 with choral communion once a month.
              7.0 and children’s service at 3.0 once a month.
Besides this you are supposed to run the choral society whenever it intermittently exists, and give occasional organ recitals.
Mind I AM NOT OFFERING IT YOU Only if you would like it I will do my best to Back you.
Will you any way take my practice and service Wed: Aug 4th at 7.0.  Practice Aug. 5 at 8.15 and the services Aug 8th (Sunday) at 11.0 & 7.0 for the usual fee whatever that is?
Then the vicar could have an opportunity of finding out your merits; he is already rather struck by the way you took that choir practice.
Please answer at once

R. Vaughan Williams

2 St. Barnabas Villas
S. Lambeth R^d
S.W.

1. Directly after their marriage in October 1897, VW and Adeline went to Berlin.
2. The post of organist at St Barnabas, South Lambeth.