• THE MUSICAL SNOB [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—I suppose that one really shouldn't be surprised to find snobs amongst musical people any more than amongst doctors, clergymen, artists, stockbrokers, lawyers, authors or actors. Yet I admit that it does astonish me to hear supposed " lovers of music " protesting against the Savoy Orpheans' two Queen's Hall concerts as a desecration of the home of classical music." Although I myself will be playing Beet- hoven at the Queen's Hall towards the end of the present month, and may therefore be described as on the classical side, I do think that, if some classical performers would take a lesson in rhythm and attack from these syncopated orchestras, classical music would be the better for it. Rhythm is most important in the execution of music, and in my opinion the rhythm of the syncopated orchestras is perfectly marvellous. Speaking for myself, I don't like to hear too much of them, but then I don't like to hear too much of anything.
There are critics who say that syncopated music is low and vulgar, but who has not heard classical music played in the most vulgar manner ? A bad classical player and a bad syn- copated player are both bad, and I object to each of them strongly. But by no means all syncopated music can be de- scribed as bad, and surely the best music of every sort has its place both in London and up and down the country, including
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