THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust

Letter No. VWL467

Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust

Letter No.: VWL467


21 December 1920

Opinion, as member of assessment panel for the Trust’s ‘Scheme for the publication of musical compositions’, on ‘Among the Northumbrian Hills’: free variations for Pianoforte Quintet by W. Gillies Whittaker.1

I cannot make up my mind whether this is real modern thought or only imitation.  Some of it I like – the inflouence of Holst is apparent.
Too much mere repetition of 2 bar phrases.
Theme                           not much
Fantastic garden            fair
Early morning                not much
Children at play             silly
Reflections                    yes
Gloom                          dull
Swallows                      I like this
Midsummer                 good
Haymaking                  beastly
Midwinter                    good
Fireside                       silly

B+ on the whole


1.  The other panellists were Henry Hadow and Dan Godfrey.  Hadow thought the work genuine and spontaneous though hurried with the composer not being sufficiently self-critical and awarded it B+; Godfrey oposed an award though felt the composer should be encouraged.  In the event the work was published by the scheme in 1922.