THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking, Surrey.

20th January, 1953.

Dear Frank,

As regards the title of Roy Douglas’ arrangement, I will fit in with anything you think suitable.¹
Now, as regards your second letter, I do not care very much for those words you sent, and I fear with all the other things I have to do, some of them at your behest, it will be a long time before I can tackle your suggestion.
How about asking someone else to do it? I wonder if Anthony Scott would like to have a shot at it.²
Yrs

RVW

(R. Vaughan Williams).

Alan Frank, Esq.,
Oxford University Press,
44, Conduit St., W.1.

1. The suite from Folk-Songs of the Four Seasons.
2. Frank had sent VW some words which had been written to be sung to Tallis’ Third mode melody (used by VW for English Hymnal 92 and his Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis), asking him if he would provide ‘quite a simple varied setting for mixed voices and organ, as a kind of short motet’ perhaps using some of the varied harmonisation from the Fantasia.  In response Frank agreed to ‘letting Anthony Scott have a shot at it’.