THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

10, Hanover Terrace, N.W.1.

Nov 23 [1955]

Dear Roy
I fear you must put up with my handwriting as Ursula is out & this letter ought to get away soon
I return corrections separate parcel – I hope I have made all clearer
I am in rather a flapdoodle about the new gong part – or rather its notation – At present there are the Tubular bells and an occasional gong note of indeterminate sound
This must be there if there are no chromatic gongs – if the chromatic gongs arfe present the place of the single indeterminate gong will be taken by the lowest note (or lowest D) of the chromatic series – can this be made clear? also it must be made quite clear that the Bells are only to play the glissando if the chromatic gongs are available (brilliant second thought!) or wd it be more fun to have the T. bells and the gongs all the time (the latter to be ad lib.) except for the occasional single note – I rather feel the more the merrier – can you devise some means of shewing [?] the conductor what I want!
How about  [Tubular Bells
                    [or Chromatic gongs (ad lib)
                    [or gong (deep indeterminate sound) in absence of chromatic gongs
but I expect you will work out something better
wd it be a good plan to give the gongs something to play during the glissando?¹
 Yrs
  RVW

What a bloody nuisance I am!

1. This discussion relates to Symphony no. 8