THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.

October 13th 1956.

Dear Herbert

I suppose you have heard of the proposed Holst concert, to be given by the L.P.O. on December 10^th, which Adrian¹ and I are organizing?  We very much want the programme notes written by those who understand and like his work.  Would you be one of them?  If you will, could you undertake The Choral Fantasia and Ode to Death?  When, as I hope, you accept, I will tell the L.P.O and they will send you a formal invitation.²
Thank you so much for your birthday good wishes.  We look forward to meeting soon.
Yrs

Ralph

1. Adrian Boult
2. This concert by the London Philarmonic Orchestra was funded by VW through his newly formed Ralph Vaughan Williams Trust. The programme notes were written by Scott Goddard, Edmund Rubbra and Herbert Howells. The full programme was: A Fugal Overture H151, The Morning of the Year H164, Ave Maria H49, Assemble all ye maidens H162, Egdon Heath H172, A Choral Fantasia H177, Ode to death H144, A Fugal Concerto H152, and the ballet music from The Perfect Fool H150. See R.V.W.: a biography, pp 377-378. A similar letter, requesting programme notes for different works, was sent to Edmund Rubbra (see VWL3434).