THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

[15th January 1939]

Dear Iris

I see you are doing the J.P.¹ at Westminster.
Would you care to borrow my band parts? I have no score, funnily, – & the parts have my special marks which you may not like.
Yrs

RVW²

1.  i.e. J.S. Bach’s St John Passion.
2.  Lemare was very moved that England’s greatest composer should offer the loan of his parts to a young ex-student and suggest that she might not like his markings … “actually I was in rather a quandary! Recently ex-college – where we were trained in a very different concept of Bach. I do not know how I could have brought it off myself with huge [cresc and dim hairpins drawn in] that I knew would be there. I sang the “St Matthew” with him in the Bach Choir – and was very excited by the dramatic interpretation – but it was a secret enjoyment – the RCM encouraged disapproval! – Ralph’s second letter saved me”. The second letter referred to here is VWL1511.