THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

13 Cheyne Walk
S.W.3

[? 1924]

Dear Mr McEwan

I am putting into the new hymn book I am preparing 2 tunes from the “Psalter in Metre” St Nicholas 115 & Jackson 74.¹
– I fear St Nicholas is v. different from the original (enclosed)  Jackson is slightly different – If the modern versions are very well known I had better keep them – C^d you kindly give me some advice on 115?
Yrs very sincerely

R. Vaughan Williams

1. VW was preparing Songs of Praise, published in 1925. In it the melody of ‘St Nicholas’ (no.396 in the enlarged edition) is ascribed to Holdroyd’s Spiritual Man’s Companion of 1753 and the harmonies are presumably by the editors and ‘Jackson’ (no 445 in the enlarged edition) is ascribed to T. Jackson, 1715-81. Neither is ascribed to the Psalter in Metre.