CHEAP:MUSIC.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR. Macclesfield, 24th June 1835.
SIR—Being an admirer of your independent and comprehensive manner of reviewing political events, literary publications, and the fine arts, and especially
of your honest and vigorous endeavours to draw Truth, dripping wet, nay almost suffocated as she is, from the well into which she has been thrown by the strug- gles of the sundry contending parties now fretting their parts on the world's stage, I take the liberty of drawing your attention to one class of subjects which is so treated by you, viz. musk. You have, I believe, oftas expressed a wish that the knowledge and practice of music might become more general in
'our country. One means of effecting this is what has already met with cow approval,—the issuing of cheap Containing some of the best music
extracted from the greatest masters, foreign or domestic : hence we have the Sacred Minstrelsy and the Psalmist for sacred subjects, and the Musical Library for another order of subjects. Tbi i latter work, in its instrumental part being arranged for the pianoforte only, leaves room for another publication. This publication, which might be a monthly one—the rage of the day—should contain instrumental music only, adapted for the violins, flutes, violoncellos, &c. consisting of from three to six or eight parts. The music should be selected from the greatest authors, ancient or modern, foreign or domestic, and fitted for private eatties, social circles, end domestic divertisement. I think, if such a publication were undertaken by a number of talented persons it would contribute, in cooperation with others, as a powerful means to the production and spread of
a taste for this enchanting art.
It is to this branch of cheap publications I would request to draw your atten- tion, and beg of you, when you again have occasion to dwell uoon music in
your duties of reviewer, to make the suggestion to the musical world. You will perceive this request arises from my own wants. I find very much difficulty. in obtaining such music in a country town : it may also arise from my assuming that there is not such a desideratum at present in existence ; but this case of mine must be that of hundreds and thousands, I verily believe.
I am, Sir, your constant reader, VERAX.
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