THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Westcott Road,
Dorking.

[30th April 1947].

Dear Gerald

Thank you very much. I have to admit that the choir took my breath away – I had no idea they w^d do it like that – & then those angelic trumpets.¹
I hope you weren’t upset by “of” as Capel² was – I tried I think 6 different ways of doing that phrase & I still believe if the accent is properly made & the whole stress thrown forward to “glory” all w^d be well – but it was my one weak spot & of course it was seized on – what I will not do is to adopt a “poetical” paraphrase as suggested to me by one critic “Full of the Heaven & Earth of thy glory”.
My love to Joyce
Yrs

Uncle Ralph

re R.C.³
We must remember that the important harp part was played on the pfte & a harp might have added a little luxury to the score.

1.  The letter refers to VW’s English version of the Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus Dei of Bach’s Mass in B minor performed at the Leith Hill Musical Festival on 18th April 1947. See  Kennedy, Catalogue of Works, p.288.
2.  Richard Capel, music critic of the Daily Telegraph, had written critically about VW’s plan to sing the Mass in English on 16th April.
3.  i.e. Capel.