Musical chairs
Sir: Congratulations to detective inspectors Warburton, Bujic and Wood on their light- fingered acquaintance with a shady old grove (Letters, 27 January). They have so organised the results of their research that any one of their letters effectively cancels out the other two. After Allen's untimely death in 1947, only one man could have modulated convincingly from the older tra- ditions to newer ones — Thomas Arm- strong, who was long held in affection and esteem by all who had anything to do with Oxford music.
Shortly before he died two years ago, Sir Thomas told me that 'there's a great deal of music in Oxford, but it's fragmented, and suffers from the lack of any unifying or con- trolling direction. The activities of the Facul- ty seem to be completely isolated from those of the various music-making organisations and from the three choral foundations.'
He was a trusty friend and mentor for nearly 60 years. To my great regret, he did not succeed to the Heather Professorship. The appointment never interested me, as I was continuously employed elsewhere. George Zuckerman, an excellent bassoonist who played for me on several occasions, could immediately recognise a hemiola when he saw one.
Denis Stevens
The Quadrangle, Morden College, London SE3
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