THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

[About 10th July 1932]

Dear Atkins

I enjoyed my self very much on Thursday – the Benedicite went 1^st rate – & I am sure the magnif: will be good – I wonder if the trouble was that the choir was too large?  Would a small select choir, say 30 or 40 voices be better – women I think not boys – unless we have one or two boys in to give colour.¹
As regards “Quoniam” – I think there is nothing between complete rescoring & the original – unless you added 1 desk of viola & 1 desk of cellos to the 2 bassoon parts – to avoid that “drunken” sound of the 2 bassoons solo.²
Allen³ used to do this I think i.e. horn 2 fag (doubled with 2 v^as & 2 cellos) then say 4 cellos & 1 bass playing the bass & the pfte doing continuo where needed.  I think if the solo horn could have had a good blow in one of the loud choruses previously.
I will send you the parts at once – also my trumpet parts – because there is one very important place – 1^st entry of trumpet in Gloria – I make the trumpets start à 3 – it sounds magnificent – instead of one rather timid trumpet starting by himself  (I quote from memory)

 
then as written

Yrs

R Vaughan Williams

1. Atkins was organist of Worcester Cathedral 1897-1950.  VW went to Worcester for a night on 7 July to attend rehearsals of his Benedicite (Catalogue of Works 1929/1) and Magnificat (Catalogue of Works 1932/2), which was to be given its performance on 8 September at the Three Choirs Festival.
2. VW is referring to J.S. Bach’s setting of the ‘Quoniam tu solus sanctus’ from the Gloria in the B Minor Mass, which is scored for horn, two bassoons and bass continuo.
3. Presumably Hugh Allen, conductor of the Bach Choir and director of the Royal College of Music.