Bells and Balls
Sir: 1 am compelled to protest at Richard Ingrams's review Bells and Balls (4 September).
'Time and again [says Ingrams] you are reminded by the filmed sequences showing 'Elgar' riding or driving up the Malvern Hills of a TV commercial, so that you would not be put out to hear, as the composer reaches the summit of the hill and the Introduction and Allegro its climax, a 'voice over', saying: 'From the heart of Worcester= shire, we bring you Elgar. Elgar. For all that's best in British music'. 'What supercilious poppycock!
As to lngrams's attack on Ken Russell's depiction of the Powick orchestra . . as consisting of loonies, peering over their music stands with vacant popping eyes', this is surely just the sort of thing that would have appealed to Elgar's own sense of humour, eg: 'Quadrilles for an Eccentric Orchestra'. In later life Elgar hated to talk about music and would frequently discourage would-be conversationalists from this subject by his use of the opening remark : 'When I was at the Lunatic Asylum ...' John Henry 112 Ellerdine Road, Hounslow, Middlesex
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