Beech Knoll, Aldbourne [Gerald & Joyce rented this house]; 14 January Dear Fergie,

For the life of me I can't find anything worth finding [in the proofs of H.F.'s Octet], though it's a very difficult job without anything to check it with. There are a good many places where a missing or additional accidental might exist, for all I can tell, without making much difference - no reflection on the Octet, but I mean that a thing seems final in print and so would seem equally final if it were different. Oh dear me, this is expressed so badly - if you know what I mean.

p.4, bar 7, 1st beat strings. Are the triplets all bowed as in Violins 1 & w or first two notes only, as in viola and cello? See this point also on p.4, bar 8, Viola and p.12, bars 6-9 p.37, bar 2, 1st Violin C-sharp.

That's all. I've loved going through it and have admired it even more, workmanship too. The three points I've always complained about still seem the same to me: viz the wretched little bassoon squirt on p.28; the faked-emotion feeling of the climax (and the woodwind repeated notes) of the slow movement, and the un-chamber-music-like feeling of those 8 of 9bars of repeated B-flats in the fiddles in the last movement. As for the 1st movement, I think it's absolutely perfect, and without flattery, I think it's more likely that the Schubert 8tet will be stuck-in to be played with yours than the other way round, as you originally intended.

We listened-in to the V.W. concert on a very bad wireless. The ‘Quodlibet’ sounded really brilliant,1whichishardlyatermonewould use for V.W. We also listened-in on Saturday to H.J.W. [Sir Henry Wood] ‘Fantasia on British Sea Songs'. Now have you everheardthis?Icould hardly believe my ears.

Don't go to all the theatres: we'll be back about the 18th. If you're getting tickets for the Phil on that day for yourself, you might get three for us and drop ‘em in at Downshire Hill ‘to await arrival'. I'm so afraid all the 3/- ones may be sold if we only arrive on the day itself. But don't worry if it's at all an inconvenience, or if you think we shall be able to get tickets at the door.