THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates
Dorking

Monday [?21 May 1951]

Dear Rutland

Your long and interesting letter would take several weeks to answer properly so I will content myself with a few points – the music is not published yet because I wanted to hear it & make some revision – & I am glad I did – mostly purely technical questions.  Even the libretto (enclosed) is by now out of date (the “nocturne” with “Watchful” is not there).
I left out Valiant for Truth – one had to leave out many people (e.g Faithful) as his great speech w^d not have gone well in the mouth of the Pilgrim – (as a matter of fact I once made a musical setting of Valiant’s speech).¹
I, on purpose, did not call the Pilgrim “Christian” because I want the work to be universal and apply to any body who aims at the spiritual life whether he is Xtian Jew, Buddhist, Shintoist or 5^th day² Adventist.
As regards the Cathedral – it is, to my mind essentially a stage piece & I said I w^d not allow it in a hall or church till it was fully established on the stage
Thank you so much for writing
Yrs

R Vaughan Williams

1. Valiant for Truth, Catalogue of Works 1940/2.
2. sic.