THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

52, Bishopsgate
London, E.C.2.

14th July, 1937.

Dear Sir,
Dr. Vaughan Williams has forwarded to us your letter to him of the 6th instant, and he has requested us to communicate direct with you on the subject.
As we think Dr. Vaughan Williams has informed you, it is his wish that after the death of the survivor of himself and his wife, his Copyrights and interest in the Copyrights should be divided between The Butterworth Trust and The British Musicians’ Pensions Society.
We have suggested to Dr. Vaughan Williams that his object could be attained by the copyrights being made over to the Butterworth Trust with a request to the Butterworth Trust that it should devote one-half of any moneys or property received by the Trust in virtue of such a provision to the British Musicians’ Pension Society.
In writing to you, we think that Dr. Vaughan Williams gave you the impression that the Copyrights would remain vested in his Executors, and in your reply to him you very rightly pointed out that if the Royalties etc. were to remain vested in his Executors, it would be just as simple for his Executors to divide the Royalties between the two objects which Dr. Vaughan Williams wished to benefit.
We have pointed out to Dr. Vaughan Williams that our suggestion was that the Copyrights should themselves be transferred to the Butterworth Trust, as if they remain the Executors it would mean that Dr. Vaughan Williams’s Estate would not be finally wound up until all the Copyrights had expired and that that would not be for very many years after his death.
We said we assumed that the Butterworth Trust was one of permanent character and would therefore be in a position to continue to administer the proceeds of the Copyrights, and that when the Copyrights had been transferred to the Butterworth Trust, Dr. Vaughan Williams’s Estate could be wound up.
The proposal is that there should be an absolute gift of the Copyrights to the Butterworth Trust, and that following the absolute gift, there should be this provision in the Will –
“And I request the Butterworth Trustees (but without imposing any legal obligation upon them) that they will devote one-half of any moneys and property which is received by them by virtue of these provisions of this my Will to the British Musicians’ Pensions Society, 21 Albert Embankment, S.E.11. and I suggest that they will at their absolute and uncontrolled discretion devote the remaining one-half of such moneys and property in furthering the performance of works by British Composers by publication, subsidizing performance or copying or in providing financial assistance to enable composers to devote more of their time to composition or to further study but I wish it to be understood that the Butterworth Trustees are to be unfettered and uncontrolled in their disposition of the said moneys and property.”
Dr. Vaughan Williams approves of our suggestion and asks us to enquire of you whether the Trust would undertake the administration of the Royalties.
We understand that the Trustees of the Butterworth Trust only meet once a year and that they have just had their meeting. If however you agree, so far as you are concerned, to the proposal, Dr. Vaughan Williams will proceed with the matter on the lines suggested in the confidence that the remaining Trustees will follow your lead.
We shlal be very much obliged if you will let us hear from you on the subject. If there is any further information that we can give you, we shall of course be pleased to do so.
We are,
Yours faithfully
Tampley & Co.