I am very much interested (in spite of sharing the
affliction of tone-deafness with my friend and colleague Harold Nicolson) in what I have heard of the two School Orchestra Summer Courses held at the end of last month and the beginning of this at Sherbome School for .Girls under the auspices of the Music Teachers' Association. Boys and girls from schools all over the country took part-200 in each course, with close on 3oo applications necessarily refused—and were organised into three carefully graded orchestras, which by all accounts achieved admirable renderings of such works as Dvorak's New World Symphony. The grading was the result of considerable previous correspondence, and it was evidently remarkably successful. The effect on music in the indi- vidual schools represented is bound to be stimulating, and there is clearly a case for extending an admirable experiment by arranging courses next year at more than one centre. There can be no fear of inadequate demand. * * w *
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