A display including original letters, manuscripts and artifacts
Click on image to enlarge.
(This exhibition has now been removed however we have left this review because of the interest it aroused.) Contact the library if you need more information. The library has a wealth of VW material (manuscripts, books, records as well as a small number of original documents.
'Life and Work' and 'A Composer in Wartime'(Dorking)
A display including original letters, manuscripts and artifacts
A multiple exhibition at the Performing Arts Library in Dorking. The exhibition which was the idea of Graham Muncy, Chief Librarian and RVW Society member, was constructed in two parts. The first part as a facsimile of the Birthplace Exhibition at Down Ampney which was funded and designed by the RVWSociety. The second part was unique to the library and featured Vaughan Williams in Dorking during wartime. A fascinating collection of original letters in Vaughan Williams' hand as well as in the hand of his first wife Adeline. The collection consists of 'Fire Watching Papers' (World War II). Much of the material was was sent to Dr William Cole in 1977 by Miss Lilian Piper (she and her sister had been members of RVW's fire-watching team). There are six duty rosters (dating from August 1941 – August 1944) and five notes or cards (c. 1942-1944) and a collection of envelopes (mostly old ones which RVW was patriotically reusing); nearly all the correspondence was delivered by hand as the Pipers were near neighbours.
Other Interesting Items
A Bugle Call in RVW's handwriting and dated 1915 is on view (Vaughan Williams enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1914).
Fire helmets letter
In best handwriting, a letter which reads as follows: "Please send me your head measurements unless you already have a helmet"
RV Williams
Coastal Command manuscript
Courtesy of Oxford Press are some original orchestral parts which were used at the original recording session of the Coastal Command Suite. These demonstrate that not only did Vaughan Williams write the music but also acted as part copyist for some of the sequences.
Crescendo Man
A manuscript copy of the solo Bass Aria from Bach's German Magnificat made by RVW when he sang in Dr Cole's Choral; Society in Dorking, during the first years of the war. Vaughan Williams was one of the basses and attended regularly and enjoyed the singing.
Dr Cole wrote in September 1994 "in fact the basses called him their 'Crescendo Man' because he was inclined to overdo it and they left the crescendos to him".
Volunteer scavenger
A newspaper cutting (1940) describes VW as a member of Dorking's Corps of Volunteer Scavengers "He taps a back door, 'Any bottles or bones, old iron or waste paper, maam?