Hedenham Lodge, Bungay, Suffolk. - Asks if Trevelyan could return to her in Edinburgh the letter from the [Edinburgh] Opera Company which she sent to him; they want a detailed answer from Donald which he cannot give without seeing the letter. Things are not going smoothly [with the revival of Tovey and Trevelyan's opera "The Bride of Dionysus"], but they will know more when they return to Edinburgh on Monday night. Miss [Mona] Benson has gone to Sir Hugh Allen 'of all people'; who rang Donald up and is to see him tomorrow in London. Does not know what Miss Benson has to complain of from Donald, 'who has done all he can to support her with the Company' in the, Clara thinks, 'very unreasonable attitude she is taking; nor what Sir Hugh Allen has to do with the affair. Hopes Bob is having a good time abroad, but they will be very glad when he returns.
39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh. - Following Hedmont's suggestion, Tovey has had a telephone message from [George?] Campbell asking who is to be named as producer, since Hedmont says he is leaving everything to Tovey. Replied firmly that he was not the producer, and that he is having a score marked with the wishes of himself, Trevelyan, and Ricketts; if Hedmont carries these instructions out he will be the producer, at least technically - which he had already stated in a letter to Campbell. In case there is an attempt to make Tovey responsible for production, he would like to find a 'competent artist in sympathy with Ricketts and [Trevelyan]' whom he would be able to work with; perhaps 'the man who did the Court Theatre operas' or Frederic Austin who did Rutland Boughton's Glastonbury productions and may be 'rather conceited & wooly pated but anything's better than Hedmont'. Does not want 'too haw-haw' a person like [Thomas] Beecham: hopes he does not take criticism badly, but there is no time for 'inattention and flightiness'. Hopes to post his interleaved score tomorrow. The local oboes are not available - the first oboe 'has always been rather a skunk in his behaviour to [Tovey] - so he has wired to [Hugh] Allen to see how much a good R.C.M. [Royal College of Music] student oboist would be.
39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh. - Thinks M.B. [Mona Benson] needs a 'good blowing up' [for wanting to resign as producer of "The Bride of Dionysus" but he does not know 'the right psychological moment' and is afraid of his temper. [Stewart] Deas does not think there is much in her resignation, nor that things are going badly. There is a gap in floor rehearsals this week: thinks Trevelyan should write Mona Benson a 'pretty stiff letter' pointing out that 'a definite resignation leaves everyone in the soup', while a postponement [of the opera] is totally impractical, and that a 'merely temperamental resignation' is no way to behave. Does not feel he can argue with her again, as 'like Queen Anne or James II' she listens patiently, agrees, then 'reaffirms her original position'. The [Edinburgh Opera] Company continue to send Tovey singers for coaching, who are getting on as well as before. Has been to several floor rehearsals in which both he and Deas thought Mona Benson was 'doing admirably' and was liked by everyone; she needs to understand that these panics are not approved of; they cannot as things stand afford to lose 'even her unofficial advice'. Sees that the 'irregularities' of the company are very annoying for her, but his experience of Edinburgh has taught him to expect nothing else. The worst that may happen is that Tovey might have to take on the job of producer himself; thinks he could ensure that Trevelyan's and Mona Benson's ideas were carried out, though could not 'teach gesture or illustrate movement', or think out groupings without expert guidance, but perhaps someone else could be enlisted to work on the movements of the Satyrs and Maenads. Mona Benson is 'perfectly reasonable' with Tovey, and vice versa, but he thinks 'her education has evidently not qualified her to be reasonable with people who have less'. Wants to retain her if he can. Asks to be remembered to [Laurence] Binyon.
A note at the top of the front page instructs Trevelyan to read the postscript first. Sir Hugh Allen has just telephoned from London, offering to send up his producer [Jack] Gordon or call Mona Benson to London to meet him. Tovey told him that things might 'simmer down' with the lack of floor rehearsal, that he would put Trevelyan in touch with Allen, and that due to another project of Allen's, originally enclosed, this proposal is 'by no means as extravagant as it is generous & helpful'. Mona Benson is obviously 'too jumpy' to do without 'some stiffening'; apologises for not sending the enclosed letter from Allen before, and suggests that now they are 'in the soup in any case'' it seems a good idea to get Gordon up with Trevelyan to form an opinion; thinks Gordon will be 'very favourably impressed' with the Company's work both for the immediate and for Allen's RCM [Royal College of Music] project in London.