On September 8th, 1941, a hundred years had passed since the birth of the Czech composer Antonin Dvořák. “I believe the nations that possess and practise their art will never perish, however small they may be,” Dvořák once wrote to his German publisher, Simrock. In these words is concealed a portion of that faith which to-day inspires the people in Czechoslovakia as they listen to the powerful notes of winged freedom that gush forth from Dvořák's music with the invincible certitude of new liberty.

“Qu. Elizabeth,” wrote Roger North, “was a lover of musick, and used the Harpsicord & organ herself, and it is not likely that musick was under any discouragement in her time. But reg° Jas. I it flourished very much … & suerly in that reigne musick was notably courted wch encouraged Mr. Morley to publish his operose tract of musick by way of dialogue.” This is not the language of a modern text-book.

The present paper is mainly biographical in purpose. It is an attempt, possibly a pioneer attempt, to present in some sort of chronological sequence the story of clarinet playing in these islands. Much of its purpose will be achieved if it serves to rescue from possible oblivion the names and doings of some of the earlier players, and more, if listeners or readers are stimulated to fill up some of the many gaps in the story.

That is a non-committal title, and I had better admit at once it is not the original one. When I was honoured by the President's invitation to read this paper my first idea was to call it “Haydn's Secret”—a short, snappy title that pleased me. But I discarded it when I found my paper would have to be announced some time beforehand, for I realised that “Haydn's Secret” might give away my own little secret ahead of schedule. Still, “Haydn's Secret” is precisely what my paper is about.

Mr. Grosbayne's most interesting paper surveys the field of conducting-literature most comprehensively. Most of the important works on the subject are named, but he also includes a large number of books which are only remotely connected with what we now understand as conducting.