Richard Pennycuick:

>But surely Vaughan Williams and Holst would be on most people's list of
>great British composers, but neither got to be knighted.  I imagine VW
>would not have been keen to keep saying, "It's pronounced RAFE!", but I
>remain intrigued.  Is there a story here?

The only story is that VW was offered knighthood and declined.  He is
reported to have said that the only title he was interested in was the
one he earned - in his case, "Dr."

I find it rather amusing that the liberal democrat VW refused the
knighthood and the far more left Tippett and Britten accepted.

Steve Schwartz