THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates,
Dorking,

16th July, 1948.

Dear Frank,

In answer to your letter, ref. ACF/PJ/119F,¹ I suggest something of this kind:

“Vaughan Williams has nearly completed an Opera on the subject of ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. He has had the idea for many years, and one section, ‘The Shepherds of the Delectable Mountains’ has already been performed. At one time he gave up the idea of finishing it and used some of the themes for his ‘Symphony in D’ but since then he has thought better of it.”

Yours sincerely,
R Vaughan Williams

(R. Vaughan Williams)

Alan Frank, Esq.,
Oxford University Press,
38a Soho Square, W.1.

1. VW had written to OUP to suggest that they might do some ‘discreet publicising’ of his new opera in avoid any other composer starting work on an opera on the same subject. See VWL4106. OUP had agreed and asked VW to draft some text for the press release.