THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

Oct 3rd [1955]

Dear Michael & Eslyn

Here we are safe home¹ – & one of the best things to meet us on the return – No I did not know about  “Hodie”² – I am so glad you are going you must let me know about it
I thought well of South’s Symphony – It wants some revision & some cutting – also some of it is too static like music to hold a situation on the films – I understand he is making revisions & alterations.³
I have glanced at Percy Young’s Elgar book⁴ – it seems pretty bad and (unless I have missed it) he leaves out the great story of Parry rushing out on a stormy night to make Richter play the Enigma.⁵
I agree about Rubbra No 3.  We had a grand time varying from the Parthenon to a wonderful old watermill in Anjou.⁶
All love from us both to you both
Yrs

RWV

P.S.  I have not seen the other Elgar book yet.⁷

1. VW and UVW had just returned from a trip to Greece.
2. Catalogue of Works 1954/3. A performance was to take place at Bradford.
3. John South (see VWL2988) had sent a score of his Symphony for VW’s opinion. VW evidently took it with him to Greece to study.
4. Elgar O.M.: a Study of a Musician (London, 1955). See also VWL2786 for VW’s opinion of Young.
5. The story is related and discussed in Kennedy, Portrait of Elgar, 3rd edn, pp 86-7 but is not true in that form – Elgar sent the score to Richter’s agent in Vienna long before Parry saw it.
6. The VWs had returned from Greece to Venice and thence overland through France (see R.V.W.: a biography, p.366).
7. Diana McVeagh, Edward Elgar: His Life and Music (London, 1955).