THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

[August 1954]

Lines¹ found in a wastepaper Basket shared by RVW & Crispin,² authorship therefore uncertain.

I fear I’m no judge:
but the work of Rev: Mudge³
seems nothing but fudge,
and you won’t make me budge,
in spite of his Herald
to wit, our friend, Gerald. 

PS. Re: English Composers, please tell the Finney’s about Rawsthorne.⁴

1. This verse was apparently written by Gerald Finzi, as if by VW, and enclosed with a letter of thanks just after the Finzis’ visit to the VWs in London (see R.V.W.: a biography, p.346) when Finzi’s edition of Mudge’s Concerto no.4, published in December 1954, would have been at proof stage. The reply is VWL2964.
2. The eldest cat, which had been a present from the Finzis.
3. The composer Richard Mudge.
4. The VWs were due to visit the American composer Ross Lee Finney and his wife during their forthcoming visit to North America. Finney was Professor of Music at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.