THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

March 21 [1949]

Dear M^r Smith,¹

I have now had the Radiogram you kindly sent me on trial, for a week and I think you will like to have a report on it.  The Gramophone part seems to be very satisfactory and gives my wife and myself great pleasure.
I do not feel so happy about the radio part.  The chief part of my desire to try your machine which had been so highly recommended to me by Sir Malcolm Sargent was that I hoped that a more selective machine would eliminate the interference from foreign stations on wave length 514 (3^rd programme) but I am sorry to say that the interference is just as bad as on my present much smaller set.
I have also tried 3^rd programme on wave length 202, but here though there is no foreign interference there is a most unpleasant < >² effect like a concertina.  I ought to add that the switch “radio selective” does not seem to help at all.
As regards the tone of the instrument this of course is a matter of opinion but I feel that the rather “fruity” tone prevents clearness of articulation in quick passages.  Also, though I like plenty of bass this instrument seems to “boom” excessively and I cannot cure this, though I have tried the “tone switch” in every position.  I wonder if it would be better if I contented myself with the gramophone which you originally – as you may remember – sent me in error.
Yours sincerely,

R. Vaughan Williams

1.  Leonard Smith was a member of the Artistes Department of the Columbia Gramophone Company with whom VW dealt over audio equipment.  See VWL2980 for further on this.
2. VW wrote two ‘crescendo’ and ‘diminuendo’ signs at this point.