Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Hubert Foss (Oxford University Press)
Letter No. VWL1487
Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Hubert Foss (Oxford University Press)
Letter No.: VWL1487
From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.
[About April 1940]
Dear Foss
I have just finished a 6th Shelley song which I should like added as a final song to the series if you approve of it.1
Yrs
R. Vaughan Williams
1. ‘A song of the new age’ from Shelley’s Hellas, the final movement of Six choral songs – in time of war, Catalogue of Works 1940/1.
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To:
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Musical Works:
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General Notes:
To Oxford University Press – Hubert Foss.
Foss’s reply of 27 March 1940:
Dr. R. Vaughan Williams, O.M.
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking Surrey.
My dear Vaughan Williams,
I have played through your ‘Five Choral Songs’ with the greatest interest and think they will find a very ready reception. They preserve Shelley’s fluidity and at the same time express his ideals more strongly even I think than he did.
I will put them in hand at once. The first thing is that they must be printed with sol-fa as well as staff notation. I am having the sol-fa prepared, and while that is going on could you answer me the following questions as to your wishes:
1. I think the title excellent – ‘Five Choral Songs, for Unison Singing, written in time of war’ is the best order in my view.
2. I want to do all five in one cover, octavo size. But would you like the somgs issued separately as well. I am quite ready to do both.
3. Price about 1/3 or 1/6, I suggest.
4. Will there be an orchestral version? If so it should be mentioned on the copies.
5. How do you feel about our printing them into Whittaker’s series, the ‘Oxford Choral Songs’? I am inclined to think not, but am not quite sure what would be best.
Many thanks and congratulations on the achievement.
Yours sincerely, -
Location Of Original:
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Shelfmark:File 41
