The collection consists chiefly of twenty-one letters and one telegram by Herbert Trench to English composer Joseph Holbrooke. The letters date from the early stages of their acquaintance. In the first letter dated July 4, 1907, Trench writes to Holbrooke suggesting a collaboration between the two of them, and in 1908 an opera written by Holbrooke for Trench's poem "Apollo and the Seaman" was performed at Queen's Hall and attended by the King and Queen of England. There are several letters in which Trench writes about the progress of that production, the costs involved, money owed to Holbrooke, and about repeat concerts performed over the following years at other venues. Trench also writes to Holbrooke about some of his other works, including "An Ode to Beauty," "Stanzas to Tolstoy," "Ode on the Nile to Asswan," and his first volume of poems, Deirdre Wedded (1901). There are also some letters which Trench wrote from a hospital bed when he was travelling in Italy. In addition, there is a letter dated September 29, 1907, by Trench to "My Dear Cook," letting him know that Joseph Holbrooke is going to perform for them the Apollo and the Seaman symphony.