THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

From R. Vaughan Williams,
10, Hanover Terrace,
Regents Park,
London, N.W.1.

May 14th 1957

Dear Miss Cullen,

Please congratulate all concerned for me for the fine success of our last Festival.  To give such a performance of Gerontius was really a feat and could not have been accomplished without a highly trained choir who had complete trust in their conductor.  It was a great triumph for Dr Cole.
I entirely approved of your asking guest conductors, including myself, to take some of the burden off the shoulders of the Conductor in Chief at the Festival.
Now, as regards the Passion: I hope the Committee will agree to giving two performances next season, and I want the Committee’s leave to ask Dr Armstrong to conduct the first of the two performances.  I have already sounded him on the subject, and he would be pleased to come if invited.  He is in complete sympathy with my version of the work, and I have prepared a score especially for his use.  He is willing to take the previous Thursday rehearsal as well as the rehearsal on Saturday, and would also like to come to one or two of our Saturday afternoons.  If you agree to this plan, as I hope you will, I think a formal invitation from the Secretary would be the right method.
Once again, congratulations to all concerned.  We must all remember that on the one hand our Secretary and Conductor could not get on without us, and that on the other, we must realise how dependant¹ we are on them.
Yours sincerely

R. Vaughan Williams

1. sic.