Songs of Graves’s and Gurney’s Friends Richard Carder Any contact between Robert Graves and Ivor Gurney has been hidden until quite recently, until revealed in a brief reference in and the discovery of two letters from Collected Letters, Gurney’s Graves in the Haines archive at Gloucester Library. Although Michael Hurd mentioned trip to Oxford in 1919 in his Gurney’s pioneering biography, (1978), he did The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney not suggest there that the two poets actually met on the occasion, though it seems likely enough. the ‘Well, here goes for Masefield, Captain Stratton, Reynard Fox and as Ivor Gurney wrote to his friend Marion Scott on all!’ – the train to Oxford on 8 November 1919. John Masefield had invited him with his friend the poet (and singer) Will Harvey to come and perform some of his songs at the house on Boar’s Hill. A few days later he wrote to John Haines, a solicitor and amateur poet: Masefield in his proper haunt On Saturday […] we visited at Hill, where are Graves, Nichols and Bridges also. Boar’s He was extremely nice, a boyish, quiet person, with a manner friendly enough, and easy to get on with. […] Neither FWH nor myself thought he cared much for a ‘By of the on the Bierside’, but ‘The Halt Legion’, & ‘Up him. Masefield expressed admiration for Downs’ pleased my last book [War’s and I fancy wants me to go to Embers], Oxford on a grant. This occasion was probably first meeting with Graves, Gurney’s who was living with his wife, Nancy, in a cottage in Masefield’s garden, while he studied at He had already St John’s College. expressed admiration for Graves in various letters the previous that the reviewers think Graves cannot write; for he is year: ‘Sorry a poet and I six settings of Graves all followed am not.’ Gurney’s
Songs of Graves’s and Gurney’s Friends Richard Carder Any contact between Robert Graves and Ivor Gurney has been hidden until quite recently, until revealed in a brief reference in Gurney’s Collected Letters, and the discovery of two letters from Graves in the Haines archive at Gloucester Library. Although Michael Hurd mentioned Gurney’s trip to Oxford in 1919 in his pioneering biography, The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney (1978), he did not suggest there that the two poets actually met on the occasion, though it seems likely enough. ‘Well, here goes for Masefield, Captain Stratton, Reynard the Fox and all!’ – as Ivor Gurney wrote to his friend Marion Scott on the train to Oxford on 8 November 1919. John Masefield had invited him with his friend the poet (and singer) Will Harvey to come and perform some of his songs at the house on Boar’s Hill. A few days later he wrote to John Haines, a solicitor and amateur poet: On Saturday […] we visited Masefield in his proper haunt at Boar’s Hill, where are Graves, Nichols and Bridges also. He was extremely nice, a boyish, quiet person, with a manner friendly enough, and easy to get on with. […] Neither FWH nor myself thought he cared much for ‘By a Bierside’, but ‘The Halt of the Legion’, & ‘Up on the Downs’ pleased him. Masefield expressed admiration for my last book [War’s Embers], and I fancy wants me to go to Oxford on a grant. This occasion was probably Gurney’s first meeting with Graves, who was living with his wife, Nancy, in a cottage in Masefield’s garden, while he studied at St John’s College. He had already expressed admiration for Graves in various letters the previous year: ‘Sorry that the reviewers think Graves cannot write; for he is a poet and I am not.’ Gurney’s six settings of Graves all followed
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