THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

February 24th 1953.

Dear Mr Smithers,
The arrangement for full orchestra of my Household Music is still in MS. and but I do nor [i.e. ‘not’] know why The O.U.P.¹ should not lend you the Bass part out of that. But perhaps, as yours is only a string orchestra, it would be best to add a discreet double bass part yourself, which I am sure you would do admirably. If you do that, I suppose the leave of the O.U.P. must be asked, and you had better do so through me.²

Yours sincerely,
R Vaughan Williams

1. Oxford University Press, who published much of VW’s work.
2. Smithers, a former pupil at VW’s old school Charterhouse, apparently followed VW’s suggestion – see VWL4643.