THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Alan Frank (OUP)

Letter No. VWL3442

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Alan Frank (OUP)

Letter No.: VWL3442


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

October 25th 1956.

Dear Alan,

I am sorry to have to write a complaining letter: I very seldom have to do so. Ursula brought home to day a reprint, – so I understand – of the catalogue of me. I have marked the mistakes as you will see. But the worst thing is on Page 18. I have already explained that I have NOTHING TO DO with Tony Scott’s Almighty Word, except that he found the tune, I believe, in the English Hymnal.1 The melody is by Tallis and the harmony, where it is not also by Tallis is by Tony Scott. Tony is very much upset about this, naturally, and so am I because I do not like taking credit for what I have not done. I have spoken about this before, and I understood that it was to be altered. I think you ought to put in an errata slip correcting what amounts to a mis-statement. One other small point, on page 13, I think “to be sung in time of war” ought to be deleted, and the word (unison) added.2 Ursula also wants to say that she did NOT write the words of Epithalamion, – but wishes she had.3
Yrs

RVW


1. See VWL2725.
2. A reference to Six Choral Songs (Catalogue of Works 1940/1).
3. UVW had chosen the words for Epithalamion from Spenser’s poem of the same name.