Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Lucy Broadwood
Letter No. VWL637
Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Lucy Broadwood
Letter No.: VWL637
October 30 [1928]
Dear Miss Broadwood
Many thanks for your letter.
I wish you had sent your emendations to me as I originally asked you – and could you specify your rather vague condemnation of Dearmer’s methods? The only one you specify is in the “Mummer’s Carol”. I would point out that the book is for use and Dearmer quite rightly (to my mind) went to all the best sources of words and collections and used the best – a few alterations, as you know are necessary (e.g. your revision which you kindly did for me of Mrs Leather’s carol about the man who went ploughing on Sunday). I myself think this was quite right.
Also if my memory is correct your own version of the Mummer’s Carol in “English Traditional Songs” is a collection of various versions – In your early version of this carol if I remember right the verse “when righteous Joseph” did not appear.
To my mind, it makes a much finer whole without it – especially as the verse in question appears Carol 41.
As regards it’s being labelled “Lent” (I thought the poor man would get into trouble over this) the designation does not refer to the origin or source but to suitability for practical use – and surely in a poem of which all the narrative verses refer not to the nativity but to the crucifixion & burial an Editor is justified in suggesting that it is suitable for Lent & Passiontide!!1
It seems to me that the duty of an editor is to get the best of all versions and put them together – You, as a collector know that it is very seldom one gets a perfect tune and a perfect set of words – Suppose for example you found from one singer a very beautiful version of the tune and from another (or even 2 others) a beautiful version of the words of a ballad – would you not put them together for singing purposes? Is this “cooking”? If it is may I often sit down to the meal.2
Yours sincerely
R. Vaughan Williams
1. The Sussex Mummers Carol is no.45 in the Oxford Book of Carols and had a revised footnote drafted by Lucy Broadwood in reprints.
2. Broadwood had apparently sent VW some strong criticisms of the newly published Oxford Book of Carols. Possibly she was planning a review.
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General Notes:
Year from postmark. In the hand of AVW, who copied this letter out from VW’s own draft, referred to in VWL640, when the original apparently became lost in the post. The page of VW’s original script which she enclosed in VWL640 is also extant and includes the text from ‘to the crucifixion’ to ‘beautiful version of’ of this letter. The two do not quite match up: AVW omits VW’s ‘to’ – possibly AVW changed the wording to some extent. The subject of the letter is the recently published Oxford Book of Carols (Catalogue of Works 1928/2) and Lucy Broadwood’s draft reply is extant – see VWL638.
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Shelfmark:2185/LEB/3/190,192
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Citation:Cobbe 171
