THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

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

Nov 20 [1955]

Dear Michael

We heard J.S.¹ rehearsing his songs, as we can’t go to the concert, & liked them very much.  He has asked R. to whom he sh^d send his new symphony & R says nowhere till J.B. has decided.²  Do keep J.S. to this, it would be idiotic & tactless; & I feel R hasn’t been firm enough about it in his letter.  Sib. proof corrected & returned.³
Love

U.

1. John South.
2. i.e. John Barbirolli. South had clearly submitted his symphony to Barbirolli for consideration for performance. It would have been acutely undiplomatic to offer it elsewhere before Barbirolli had made a decision.
3. A reference to the essay VW wrote for the Daily Telegraph in tribute to Sibelius’s 90th birthday; see also VWL3110.