[Dearest Dave]

Many thanks. So long as it reached you, and I don't have to buy two more copies! As to your earlier letter and John's: just think of all the lovely Christmas presents that may not have reached me! So glad [William] Boyce is getting on. It must be the hell of a job. I've finished more than half the scoring of Q.A.L.: see ‘Midsummer Night's Dream', III, i, 141: ‘Mine eare is much enamoured of thy note'. Love, H.

Dearest Dave,

Could you cast your eye over this, and tell me whether you think the voice would come through? I could score it more lightly if necessary - for instance, after 51 leave out Flute 2 and Bassoon, and so on throughout. I would prefer it as it is, which is the way I'd do it if I had no voice to think of; but I feel rather at a loss to know just through what a voice will or will not carry.

Sorry to bother you with this in the midst of Boyce. Love, H.

Dearest Dave,

Very many thanks. That's exactly what I wanted to know. So long as it is all right in the main, I can easily lighten that one bar before figure 53; the voice there, incidentally, is meant to gradually appear throughthesurrounding murk, so it wouldn't matter if it were covered to begin with. Yes, I remember reading (in Strauss's preface to ‘Capriccio', of all places) that independent high flutes were apt to hide voices and words. But I think I'll cross fingers and hope for the best, as far as the beginning of this section is concerned, as I've always had the flute-colour in mind and would be sorry to change it for strings, unless bitter experience proves it to be absolutely necessary. Anyway, it's a great comfort to know that you think it should be O.K.

Alice [Sumsion] very kindly wrote the other day to ask whether I wanted anything done about accommodation [for the Gloucester Festival]. I replied that I would like best of all to be with all of you at the Headmaster's house, if this were possible. Otherwise, to sleep elsewhere and, again if possible, feed with you.