THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

March 25 [1939]

Dear Iris

‘Windsor Forest’ takes about 25 minutes so I think we ought to allow 50 for rehearsal – but I will no be longer than I can help.¹
The orchestra was 1^st rate on Thursday.²
Yrs

Uncle Ralph

1. In the hand of AVW to this point, then in the hand of VW. The concert was in Lewes Town Hall on 22 April. RVW was introduced by John Christie (of Glyndebourne) and presented the awards at the end of the Lewes competitive festival. Lemare’s note: “This was a very special concert in my life. It would have made a great difference to me  – had the war not happened 6 months later. It is also precious as it was a “shared” concert with Ralph. I had done all the “donkey work” at the Lewes Festival, preparing the orchestra there for years. This concert the cttee decided to forego a soloist and instead get a first class professional orchestra and give me the chance to conduct it.”  “It was more or less the “London Phil” … Ralph conducted “Windsor Forest” and I did the rest [Overture – concerto – de Falla “El Amor Brujo”]. In the train going back on my own the leader – David Macallum – found me – and gave me a terrific boost and said he would see the manager about a concert with them. Of course it never happened! – but this was 1939 and could have boosted woman conductors”.
2. “The orchestra was 1st rate on Thursday” relates to RVW conducting in Kensington Town Hall for the Kensington Festival on Thursday 23 March.  Iris probably also fixed the orchestra for that event.