We never close
Sir: Michael Nyman in 'We never close' (22 November) discusses the London concert scene.
He writes : . . in the past few weeks our well-fed musical culture has shown that it can survive very happily in ignorance of the fact that a little music has been written since 1918.' During the five weeks from 20 October well over fifty performances of works written after 1918 have been given in the three South Bank Halls alone, not counting small vocal items, guitar pieces, transcriptions and 'popular' music.
He continues: 'For the only novelties one has had to turn, unbelievably, to Purcell and Mozart.' There were, during the same period, in the same halls, at least seven first London performances of works by living composers. John Denison General Manager, Royal Festival Hall, London SW1
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