THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Nov 27 [1934]

Dear M^r Foster Clark

Many thanks for your letter.  I sh^d prefer the 4 hymns¹ (they are pfte & viola obbligato as written you know – failing string orchestra) – they are less than 20 minutes I think – If by any chance you have not written engaged a soloist – the 4 hymns were written for Steuart Wilson likewise & he is undoubtedly the man for them (likewise for the Chaucer songs²) – I fear M^r Kettlewell misunderstood me.  I told of one old song which I had forgotten about & one other old song which had lately been dug up & published by the OUP.
If you want some entirely unknown & heartily disliked songs of mine (though not old) you sh^d see the 3 songs on a ground bass (unfortunately titled 3 songs from Walt Whitman)³ OUP)  My favourite among my own songs is “The New Ghost” (4 songs by Fredegond Shove)⁴ (OUP).
Yrs sincerely

R Vaughan Williams

1.  Catalogue of Works, 1914/2.
2.  Merciless Beauty: three rondels for high voice, Catalogue of Works, 1921/11.
3.  Three poems by Walt Whitman, Catalogue of Works, 1925/4.
4.  Four poems by Fredegond Shove, Catalogue of Works, 1925/3.