THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

[June 1924]

Dear Proctor Gregg¹

I can’t stomach our Mike being made drunk & put in the stocks. – He seems to me a poetical character & it w^d leave a decided nasty taste in the mouth to have him made drunk & made a fool of – he ought to be outside the action.  It will to my mind entirely spoil the memory of his entry in Act I.²
On the other hand I am willing to give up Aunt Jane – So shall we compromise on the Turnkey
– he could either (1) come out very drunk with the other roysterers & fall asleep by the stocks (or any where else)
or (2) we could have a modified version of the present interruption when the constable looks out of the window – Aunt Jane c^d come out then & see Mary & be silenced by her by a few words
A.J (softly) Mary here?
Mary (whispers) don’t give me away
A.J aloud to constable (who has remained up stairs) “All’s well”
Constable.  “Hullo where’s that damned turnkey – come along sir & watch the spy – Jane come in & give me my night-posset” (exit Aunt Jane) 
Enter Turnkey very drunk from the pub sits down & sings a ridiculous song

“Watching a spy
 makes me feel dry” etc

– He falls asleep
Hugh “Now, now my love ’tis time” –  they are about to start when they are confronted by Aunt Jane – “Now you people what’s all this about” 
Then your ensemble (with modifications)³
Yrs

R. Vaughan Williams

1. Head of the Opera Department at the Royal College of Music and Stage Manager and designer of their first productions of The Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains and Hugh the Drover and producer of Sir John in Love.
2. Mike is the ballad seller in Hugh the Drover. The action in question takes place  in Act II of the opera.
3. In the final version of the opera Mike appears neither drunk nor is put in the stocks.