THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

June 8 1943

Dear Sir
I have at last finished the English version of my ‘O vos omnes’ & I send it for your criticism¹
It has meant practically re-writing the music – as I wanted to stick absolutely to the A.V. English² – This I have succeeded in doing except in one place – “Return to the Lord” for “Return unto the Lord” – Do you think this matters?
As far as I can make out the Bible practice is Return to a place
Return unto a person
Does what I have put sound very illiterate?
Yrs faithfully
R Vaughan Williams

1. VW is returning to this earlier work dating from 1922. This letter indicates that VW himself made an English version. See also VWL5207. VWL3180 also makes clear that it was VW’s English version which was adapted by Maurice Jacobson; see also VWL2081.
2. Authorised Version of the Bible