▁for ▁his ▁students ▁to ▁be ▁self - crit ical , ▁but ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁and ▁Hol st ▁became , ▁and ▁remained , ▁one ▁another ' s ▁most ▁val ued ▁critics ; ▁each ▁would ▁play ▁his ▁latest ▁composition ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁while ▁still ▁working ▁on ▁it . ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁later ▁observed , ▁" What ▁one ▁really ▁lear ns ▁from ▁an ▁Academy ▁or ▁College ▁is ▁not ▁so ▁much ▁from ▁one ' s ▁official ▁teachers ▁as ▁from ▁one ' s ▁fellow - stud ents   ... ▁[ we ▁discussed ] ▁every ▁subject ▁under ▁the ▁sun ▁from ▁the ▁lowest ▁note ▁of ▁the ▁double ▁bass oon ▁to ▁the ▁philosophy ▁of ▁J ude ▁the ▁Ob sc ure ". ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁he ▁wrote ▁of ▁their ▁relationship , ▁" Hol st ▁declared ▁that ▁his ▁music ▁was ▁influenced ▁by ▁that ▁of ▁his ▁friend : ▁the ▁con verse ▁is ▁certainly ▁true ." ▁ ▁Early ▁career ▁V aug han ▁Williams ▁had ▁a ▁mod est ▁private ▁income , ▁which ▁in ▁his ▁early ▁career ▁he ▁supp lement ed ▁with ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁musical ▁activities . ▁Although ▁the ▁organ ▁was ▁not ▁his ▁preferred ▁instrument , ▁the ▁only ▁post ▁he ▁ever ▁held ▁for ▁an ▁annual ▁sal ary ▁was ▁as ▁a ▁church ▁organ ist ▁and ▁cho irm aster . ▁He ▁held ▁the ▁position ▁at ▁St ▁Bar nab as , ▁in ▁the ▁inner ▁London ▁district ▁of ▁South ▁Lamb eth , ▁from ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁for ▁a ▁sal ary ▁of ▁£ 5 0 ▁a ▁year .