Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), composer, conductor and teacher of music, was Professor of Composition at the Royal College of Music 1883-1924 and Professor of Music at Cambridge 1887-1924. Alfred Henry Littleton (1845-1914) was chairman of Novello & Co. publishing house.

Correspondence mostly from Stanford to Littleton, on music publishing matters; (1-3) are to Henry Littleton (Alfred Littleton's father), 1876; (26) is a note from Charles Steggall to Littleton, c.1883; (69-72) are to Novello's after Littleton's death; (73-76) are undated Stanford letters.