THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Tom Whitestone

Letter No. VWL3432

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Tom Whitestone

Letter No.: VWL3432


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

Oct 9th 1956

Dear Tom

Sir John Barbirolli has sent me your letter to him – I am glad you like Haydn; he is a very great man & wrote beautiful tunes.
I must one day try to write a tune which you will like.1
Yrs affectionately

R. Vaughan Williams


1. This letter was sent to the Oxford University Press by the mother of the writer for use by UVW in R.V.W.: a biography. Tom Whitestone, a child of nine years, had been at the first London performance of the Eighth Symphony and had written to John Barbirolli advising him to stick to Haydn, and avoid composers such as VW!