THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Oct 19 [1941?]

Dear Joan
Your letter took 4 days to get here – so I much doubt if this will get here to you by Monday
My position is this – the BBC hymn book is coming up again I believe and I was asked to join the music C^tee – I consulted Milford¹ & he urged me to join so as to see fair play for our side.  So I accepted – but have heard no more – so I don’t know what the position is.
What does Milford say to the new scheme?
I quite agree that the words do want drastic revision – I never fed my dislikes when we were doing the book (I once nearly resigned when they proposed to emasculate “Lo he comes”)  But I won’t do another hymn book.
I’ve done two other ones² (not to mention (1) S.P.³ for blue eyed girls
(2) S.P. for red braced boys
(3) S.P. for one eyed children between the ages of 7½ & 8¾ etc etc
I am nearly 70 & I’ve done with hymn selections.
My love to Martin⁴ & all yours
What of Diccon?⁵
yrs
RVW

1. Humphrey Milford, editor at Oxford University Press.
2. The English Hymnal and Songs of Praise.
3. Songs of Praise.
4. Martin Shaw, composer and editor, husband of Joan.
5. Richard Brinkley Shaw, son of Martin and Joan; VW paid his fees at the Royal Academy of Music and at Cambridge. See also VWL4101.