THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Olga Koussevitsky

Letter No. VWL5127

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Olga Koussevitsky

Letter No.: VWL5127


Committee for the Promotion of New Music
53 Welbeck Street, 
London, W.1.

7th July, 1951.

Dear Mrs Koussevitzky
I write on behalf of my Committee to offer you our most sincere condolences on the death of your husband.
To most of the Committee, he was known as a great musician and a great benefactor to musicians. Then we had personal experience of his kindliness and wisdom when he not only gave us some much-needed financial help, but also gave two prizes, through us, in a competition for young composers. These two, Racine Fricker and Iain Hamilton, are now among the legion who have good reason to owe a considerable debt of gratitude to your husband.
When he visited England last, therefore, we were most happy to invite him to a luncheon in his honour, and the impression that his letters and advice had made on the Committee was crystallized into one of tangible friendship.
There is not one of our number who does not feel this loss personally. Again, my sympathy is with you in your sorrow.
I am,
Yours most sincerely,
Ralph Vaughan Williams

President