THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.

February 26th 1958.

Dear Michael & Eslyn

Your rhapsody about the weather was a day too soon – today the blizzard has upset the train services so that I could not go down to Epsom for a rehearsal of the M.P. luckilly¹ I was not conducting, but only listening to to Tom’s rehearsal; and he is trying to get there – I hope he will not be lost in a snow-drift.²
I think it was the best performance of the John we have done as yet.³
Apparently my letter about the harpsichord has lit a candle which will not easily be put out.⁴
I admired Tippett’s symphony⁵ very much, but it is very hard; one of those things that will not get a really good performance till it has been done about ten times.
We are considering Cheltenham, and are only waiting to find out what the programmes are.
Our love to you both,
Yrs

RVW

1.  sic.
2.  Thomas Armstrong was to conduct the second performance of the St Matthew Passion at Dorking with VW conducting the first.
3.  The St John Passion had been given in Dorking on 15 February.
4.  VW wrote a letter to the Daily Telegraph (20 February 1958) defending the use of a piano instead of harpsichord for the continuo part in the St John Passion. Reprinted in NM, 303-4. See VWL3340.
5.  Tippett’s Symphony No. 2 (1957) had received its first performance on 5 February 1958 by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Adrian Boult.