THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

Cambridge¹

1.  Added in manuscript.

Feb 3rd [1954]

Confidential!

My dear Eslyn & Michael

Booking opens on February 8th at the box office of the Arts Theatre, Cambridge.  Performances at the Guildhall.  The leaflets I haven’t yet seen.
So far as one can tell, this will not be a good performance,¹  but it will be full of good moments.  Staging will be terribly difficult, & not very helpful, Pilgrim has a good voice, but absolutely no idea of acting – & only 3 weeks to go.  The chorus sound very fresh – and the orchestra is ghastly.  I tell you this, because I still long for a really enlightened performance.  If it was given even ½ the attention of Gloriana,² as to lights, sets & clothes, what couldn’t it be?  I think this will probably come together on the night, & the weekend before will be unmitigatedly ghastly!  However, we shall see. I hope the roads will unfreeze before then & make your journey possible.
We have had a lovely time here since Saturday.  The cold is horrid, but we have been to see a lot of friends, enjoyed the Fitzwilliam, heard evensong (by candlelight) twice at Kings, & yesterday morning the Byrd 5 part Mass.  It’s wonderful to sit in that divine place with all the colours of the world in the window, & hear Byrd, all at once.
Fond love to you both from both of us.

Ursula.

1.  Of The Pilgrim’s Progress (Catalogue of Works 1951/1).
2.  The opera by Benjamin Britten produced the previous year.