THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

April 13 [1937]

Dear Gordon

Here is still another letter about ‘Hugh’.¹  Which if you take my advice you will throw into the wastepaper basket unread.  It refers of course to the difficult situation in Act 2 – It has been suggested to me that the horn calls do not sufficiently indicate that the lovers are surrounded on all sides & cannot possibly escape.  How about supplementing the horn calls with some distant ‘halloos’?  – not on any definite note nor any definite time – they must of course cease when Mary starts “Now listen” as the audiences’ attention must be concentrated on the lovers scheme and not distracted –
I give this suggestion for what it is worth.
Yours sincerely

R Vaughan Williams²

1.  VW refers to the revival of Hugh the Drover (Catalogue of Works 1924/2) being put on by Sadler’s Wells as part of the Coronation festivities for George VI – see Kennedy, Works of Vaughan Williams, p.256. Jack Gordon was the producer of the opera.
2.  Signed by VW.