THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

February 5th 1958

Dear Michael

It will be grand if you can come on the 21st.¹  Thank you so much for your thrilling account of the Hallé celebrations.  We are now thick in John and Matthew,² and as usual tenors are begining to fail.  For the John we have only four tenors left, two of whom can sing and two of whom can’t.  However, I have managed to collect two outsiders who know it and are coming here for a special rehearsal beforehand.  We are doing 2 performances of the Matthew this year, one conducted by Tom Armstrong.  I do not think we are going to Peter Grimes,³ but for our sins we are going to endure the Carmelites.⁴
Give my love to Eslyn.  It is wonderful how her spirit triumphs over everything.  I hope I shall see her one day in her lovely dress.
Love from us both, to you, also.
Yrs

RVW

1.  For the run-through of the Ninth Symphony (Catalogue of Works 1957/4) – see VWL3390.
2.  Preparing performances of the Bach St John (for 15 February) and St Matthew (for 5 March) Passions at Dorking.
3.  The opera by Benjamin Britten (1945).
4.  The first London production of Dialogues des Carmélites (1957) by Poulenc.