THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

Sunday [?1939]

Dear Vally

I thought the girls sang the Bach beautifully – perhaps the end was a little abrupt – otherwise very good.  I quite forgot the regulations and applauded. I was so sorry not to see you  – I tried to find you.¹
– I have seen Gustav’s setting.  When I was doing S of  P² – but came to the conclusion that we must keep the tune for which the words were originally written.
– I think we ought to try & get a private performance of  the three things – (could you try to arrange it); then if they came off well we could try (with the consent of Isobel & Imogen) to get a publisher.³
Love from

Uncle Ralph

1. VW had obviously attended a concert at St Paul’s Girls’ School.
2. Songs of Praise
3. A note in Imogen Holst’s hand: ‘H167’ – a setting for St Paul’s Girls School of ‘Christ hath a garden’  (Bridges text). This does occur in Songs of Praise (no.245) set to the tune ‘Leighton’.