Our national tour Isles of Light brings together the music of composers of the British Isles, including the extraordinary Ralph Vaughan Williams and Elizabeth Maconchy. Their relationship: as teacher and student, mentor and advocate, unfolded not only in music, but in a correspondence of letters that stretched across decades. Catalogued online by the Vaughan Williams Foundation, their correspondence tells a story of encouragement, persistence and friendship.
Vaughan Williams and Maconchy first met at the Royal College of Music in London in the 1920s, and what began as a student–teacher relationship became an enduring friendship. In his letters, Vaughan Williams addressed her affectionately as “my dear Betty”, signing off with the warm “Love, Uncle Ralph”. From early on, it’s evident that Vaughan Williams recognised exceptionalism in Maconchy’s voice as a composer. In 1929, he wrote in support of her application for the college’s Mendelssohn Scholarship, praising her “industry, good character and power to profit by instruction,” adding that she would “take full advantage of the opportunities” it offered.
Despite this endorsement, she was not awarded the scholarship. Allegedly, Sir Hugh Allen, Chair of the jury, told her, “If we give you the scholarship, you will only get married and never write another note.”
While this must’ve been a disappointment for both student and teacher, it does highlight the significance of Vaughan Williams’s support in the years to come. He continued to advocate for Maconchy’s work throughout her career. Writing to the BBC in 1943, he made his position clear: “The admirers of Elizabeth Maconchy (among whom I number myself) want very much to hear some of her music again.”
Their musical dialogue flowed both ways. In 1942, Maconchy was commissioned by the BBC to write a piece for Vaughan Williams’s 70th birthday concert. She responded by composing Variations on a Well-known Theme - the theme in question being none other than For he’s a jolly good fellow.
In 1947, when Maconchy faced a crisis of confidence, Vaughan Williams wrote to her with simple, direct reassurance: “Dear Betty, don’t talk any more nonsense about giving up composing – but go on from strength to strength.”
Maconchy’s Symphony for Double String Orchestra, which features in Isles of Light, would follow several years later, composed in 1952–53. It stands today as one of her most celebrated works, embodying the resilience and clarity that Vaughan Williams encouraged of his student.
Their connection endured into the later years of Vaughan Williams’s life. In 1957, Maconchy composed Variations on a Theme from Vaughan Williams’ Job as a tribute for his 85th birthday. He died the following year. In 1959, Maconchy was the first woman to be invited to chair the Composers' Guild of Great Britain. Her legacy would continue to grow across the following decades, at one point dubbed ‘one of the most substantial composers these islands have yet produced’. Alongside her mentor, she became one of the most distinctive voices in 20th-century British music.
Embodying the camaraderie and supportive spirit of her former teacher, Maconchy became President of the Society for the Promotion of New Music in 1976 (a position formerly held by Vaughan Williams). She was later recognised as a Dame Commander of the British Empire, and continued composing well into the 1980s.
In Isles of Light, Vaughan Williams and Maconchy’s music is heard together, and through it, a story of mentorship, encouragement and artistic independence.
Isles of Light is touring Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide, 13 - 23 June.
