THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking,
Surrey.

13th May, 1953

Dear Arthur

I listened with extraordinary interest to the broadcast of your Opera. It will be a scandal if it is not now put on the stage.¹
I am glad to see that Ernest Newman gave it a good notice in the “Sunday Times”.²
Good luck to it.
Yrs
RVW

(R. Vaughan Williams).

Arthur Benjamin, Esq.

1. A tale of two cities (see VWL2354) had received three broadcast performances on the BBC Third Programme, the first on 17th April. It eventually received a stage production by the New Opera Company at Sadlers Wells in July 1957 – see VWL3360 and R.V.W.: a biography, p.382.