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Handed in at Edinburgh L. - [George] Campbell agrees to principals from outside the cast [of the Edinburgh Opera Company, for "The Bride of Dionysus"] 'if and when' locals prove it sufficient [sic: insufficient?]. Is also 'crazy' for something other than stock scenes and characters. Asks Trevelyan to 'close with him'; thinks all well.

Hedenham Lodge, Bungay, Suffolk. - Thought he had shown Trevelyan [George] Campbell's reply to his letter, and that Trevelyan had agreed that it was 'a non-committal assurance' that nothing would interfere with the success of the opera ["The Bride of Dionysus"]. Doesn't expect another letter from him. Thinks Trevelyan, as 'paymaster', should tell the [Edinburgh Opera] Company either to accept Miss Benson as producer or explain when Tovey visits Edinburgh soon what objections they have - perhaps her youth and inexperience. The position is that Trevelyan and Tovey want Miss Benson, 'who lives in Edinburgh, knows the music, and knows her job', and that she will only take the position of producer, which Tovey interprets as meaning that the authors must not interfere with her during rehearsals and discussion of details with her must take place at another time. Thinks this will go smoothly if Trevelyan makes the suggestion; the only difficulty would be if they want [Loudon] Shepher, but does not expect they would insist. Thanks Trevelyan for helping so much over the programmes: he should choose which ever time he thinks best; regarding the 15th, it is advantageous that Tovey will be tired and [George Steward?] McManus present as the work largely falls on Trevelyan, and 'McManus will be interested & not... quite so sensitive as when there's nothing else going on.'

39 Royal Terrace, Edinburgh. - Sends the score of the first act [of "The Bride of Dionysus"]: it takes more than one sitting to 'thrash out the thing without utter fatigue. Four hours of Hedmont nearly killed [Tovey]!'. This act is much the hardest: thinks the rest will be comparatively easy for Trevelyan and Ricketts to get plotted out. Will definitely not be the producer as he would need such precise instructions; the suggestion that he should be 'means that Hedmont, having discovered his own incompetence, wants to shift the blame for it'. Tovey and Trevelyan together might be producers, but he thinks it much better to get a professional person with 'intelligence and knowledge' but also the 'good nature' to see that 'he can't have a free hand and must make the best of a work of which the words, music, times, & scenes, are now rigidly fixed'. They must also remember they have not officially got rid of Hedmont, but Tovey thinks that if Hedmont will not work with a producer chosen by Trevelyan, he 'as paymaster' can persuade Campbell that Hedmont must go unless he can execute orders.

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. - Encloses a letter to [Francis] Harford [playing Minos in "The Bride of Dionysus"]: asks Trevelyan to read it and see if it will do. The 'kindest & best thing to me & to him' would be for Trevelyan to take it him and ask if he could come round for a final practice. [George] Campbell will know if the address is right. Sorry to ask this, but it is the only way they can contact all concerned and act at once. Thinks it best to see Harford personally.