THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

After September 15th 1953.
10 Hanover Terrace, London N.W.1.

The White Gates,
Dorking.

August 31st. 1953.

Dear Mr Downes,

Thank you for your most interesting letter¹.  If ever you print your lecture I should be so glad to have a copy.

As you say there are certain things which I should have done differently now.  As I daresay you know, there have been several alterations and revisions since 1914; notably a whole second trio in the scherzo, which was scrapped.  References to it come in the coda of the scherzo.  They may seem out of place, but they are, like the human appendix, relics of a former useful function.  But I do not regret that coda, nor have I yet had cause to regret my appendix, but that may come later.  The other big cut was in the coda of the whole movement.  There have also been, from time to time, several small deletions and re-orchestrations.

I shall be very glad to meet Mr Pfohl when he comes to London where we ourselves move in the middle of September, when our address will be as above.

Yours sincerely,
R Vaughan Williams²

1.  18 August.  See VWL3904.
2.  Signed.