THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

May 10th 1952.

Dictated

Dear Foote,

The Barnes Society have asked me to set the enclosed words to music – will you care to publish it? I send two keys, the second two sharps is of course the best for community singing, which I understand they want – but I feel that these very intimate words are quite unsuitable for that purpose
Yours sincerely,

R. Vaughan Williams

P.S. I enclose a typed copy of the words for reference – The words under the music should be arranged as it is in the typescripts, not as it is under the music: –  that is to say, the Dorset words as the main line, & the English equivalents, where necessary, in brackets underneath

1. In the Spring (Catalogue of Works 1952/1), words taken from Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect by William Barnes.