THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking, Surrey.

18th December, 1951.

Dear Gerald 

Will you thank Mr. Court for his very kind letter.
I very much fear that on March 5th. I shall be right in the middle of my own festival preparations but I will keep the date in mind in case I can possibly come.
Now another matter – I think I have persuaded Boyd Neel to do some young English composers at some of his concerts and I have suggested Tony Scott and Leighton.¹ Which Leighton shall I suggest? It ought not to be too long; say twenty minutes to half an hour and be for strings only unless there is a solo instrument involved.
Would you make suggestions to me? If I recommended a work by any young composer I would be responsible for any additional band parts which were wanted, but I should have to ask the composer to check them very carefully and make quite sure that they were correct and legible. 
My love to Joyce
Yrs
RVW

(R. Vaughan Williams). 

Gerald Finzi, Esq.,
Ashmansworth,
near Newbury, Berks.

1. Boyd Neel was conductor of the Boyd Neel Orchestra, later to become the Philomusica of London. Kenneth Leighton was at this time studying in Rome with Goffredo Petrassi, having won the Mendelssohn Scholarship, an award given at the Royal College of Music for study overseas.