THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Joan Shaw

Letter No. VWL4236

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Joan Shaw

Letter No.: VWL4236


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

October 30 [1954]

Joan: for yr. amusement.1
Unworthy words are not the proper vehicle for great and worthy ideas.  They require for their expression and their apprehension, clarity and beauty of language.  So it is with music.  Worship requires the best we can offer, not the poor, trite and sentimental.  If our thought is worthwhile let it be expressed worthily, and do not let us be content in church with a standard we should be ashamed of outside.


1.  Greeting line added by Ursula in red ink.