THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

January 27th 1958.

Dearest Michael & Eslyn

I hoped to send the invitation for the 21st with this¹ – but the printer has not yet delivered them – this is to wish you all a happy centenary & how we wish we could see Eslyn in her dragonfly glory.²
All goes well here – Ralph is editing a penguin Folk song book, Gil had mild Phlebitis specialité de la maison it seems – & wrote his book on transport in bed³.  Joy came to stay, Genia came to stay,⁴ the lavatories froze, & the plummer⁵ came to lunch, & the Hallé last night was radiant. We also went to Eric Greenes blind choir, & the McNaghten concert, Midsummer Nights Dream, & the Passion rehearsals.  Now Tippett No. 2 is coming up.  We have taken one of the Walton’s villas in Ischia from April 14 to May 14 – very exciting.⁶  We shall also look at Pompeii & Herculaneum – its going to be nice to go away after the symphony.⁷  Edna is going to the Adriatic!⁸ In June.  The cats will stay here.
Love from us both.
Ursula.

1.  See VWL3390.
2.  The Hallé Orchestra had given a centenary concert on 30 January 1958.
3.  The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation by Gilmour Jenkins was published in 1959.
4.  Joy Finzi and Genia Hornstein.
5.  sic.
6.  William Walton  had a house on Ischia with several attached villas (see also VWL3396).
7.  The Ninth Symphony was to be given its first performance on 2 April at the RFH.
8.  Edna Harling, who was housekeeper for the VWs.