SIR,—Mr. Elwin springs to the defence of something which I
did not knowingly attack. It is not for me, an amateur musician myself, to be patronising about the activities of amateur players in this country, though I thought I had been honest.
I wrote trona my experiences in amateur orchestras over the last twelve years, and with the help of
information supplied by the National Federation of Music Societies. It was one of the Federation's staff who told me that amateur military bands were not considered eligible for grants, because badly played military band music sounded worse than badly played orchestral music. Incidentally, light amateur orchestras do exist: I have played in them. I have also played in a concert similar to the one I described by the Tolworth Philharmonic, which is not so -much of a fiction as Mr. Elwyn supposes. The real Tolworth Philharmonic played (with financial assistance) at a number of concerts, well stiffened, to small audiences of relatives, neighbours and well-wishers, who listened politely, applauded and left, talking about something else. I do not suggest-that this is typical : it merely struck me as noteworthy that this orchestra should be subsidised, while a light orchestra, possibly capable of pleasing a larger number of people, should be ruled out because it wasn4 performing 'classical' music.
Professional musicians may' be, as Mr. Elwin says,.: the first to acknowledge the place held by the, amateur in the musical life of the nation--well, let's Say the third or fourth to do so. But it would be unfair to all concerned to pretend that amateur standards arc, generally speaking, comparable with the professional, In any case, 1 made it Pretty plain that many of our amateur orchestra -arc 'capable of putting on concerts which no one need hesitate to judge by the highest standards. No doubt the majority reach a middle standard of good, acceptable playing —a standard which 1 am sure would be lower without the work of the National Federation.—Yours faith- fully, PAUL VAUCH
3 Elm Grove, Wimbledon; SW19
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