THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.

[17th November 1957]

Dearest Simona

Ursula definitely has ‘flu – but is getting on well. Thank you so much for the list. I shd like to add the duet from Act II¹ “wearily I go to rest” which is one of my favourites. Of course the end of this (as well as the “Songs of Araby” song”) will have to be faked for concert use.
Thank you so much for the Heavenly Railway.² Would you care to go to this³ – they are such a good little choir and active & are doing “5 T.P.s”4 – I wd have gone but the invitation came too late.
All Love

Ralph

P.S. If the sceance⁵ comes to anything the O.U.P. ought to be told.

1.  from The Poisoned Kiss. Clarify.
2.  Refers to a pious poster called ‘The Broad and Narrow Way’ published by Marshall, Morgan & Scott depicting the stages on the roads to Heaven and Hell. A railway train is shown near the gates of Hell.
3.  This refers to an enclosed invitation or concert ticket.
4.  i.e. Five Tudor Portraits.
5.  A special performance arranged from the RAM production of The Poisoned Kiss by Simona Pakenham’s husband, Noel Iliff, a theatrical producer, as an attempt to sell the idea to Ian (check) Albery of the New [now Albery] Theatre. The verdict was ‘too good’.