THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

March 3 [early 1930s]

Dear Mr Stanford Robinson
I am enclosing a short work for unaccompanied chorus by my old friend Harold Phillips – He and I were great friends in old days at the Royal College¹ – Then he went to America to take up an organists post there and I lost sight of him.
Then not long ago I received from his wife the manuscript of this composition which she sent me without his knowledge – She told me that she had not long to live and that she wanted very much to see this composition in print as she – quite rightly I consider – admired it very much. In my opinion it is a beautiful little work and I am glad the Oxford Press have seen their way to publish it.
I do hope that you will be able to include it in one of your programmes – not merely of course because I request it – but because I think you will agree it is well worth performing on its own merits.
It may interest you to know that Harold Phillips is brother to Stephen Phillips the Poet
Yrs sincerely
R Vaughan Williams