Well aired
Sir: Simon Heifer's interview with George Lloyd (The last romantic', 19 June) credits me with having confirmed the existence of a blacklist of composers at the BBC during the Sixties and Seventies. George was in fact paraphrasing a conversation I clearly remember we had in my office in Yalding House about 15 years ago. Like many pro- ducers who joined the BBC at the end of the Sixties, I felt that the repertory of music by living composers, both British and for- eign, on Radio Three needed broadening and was fortunately able to do something about it. I am proud to have played a small part in righting what was self-evidently a wrong in denying George Lloyd access to the air for so many years. I have been delighted to witness his great successes in recent years. However, if the BBC Music Division maintained an actual blacklist of composers during the time Sir William Glock and Robert Ponsonby were Con- trollers of Music, I never saw it — and I held senior posts under both of them.
Ernest Warburton
10a Park Avenue, St Albans
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