THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

[1930]

Dear Maud
I can’t see anything wrong with the scoring of Beggar Boy, Hit & Miss, & F.Companion¹ – If the bass sounded too heavy its the fault of the bass not of the scoring – which is, if anything too light – Indeed I made it heavier in one of two places by substituting arco for pizz in the basses.
-Also there are not 1/2 enough phrasing marks to my mind – I don’t dare to do that myself as I always do it wrong (I have attempted it in Hit & Miss  F. Companion) Please add them and see that they are the same in all parts – this is most important – Orchestral players if their parts are not fully marked with [insert perf mark] … — etc play it all stodgily
Yrs
RVW

1. Fine Companion. These were traditional dance tunes.