Alan Moss wrote:

>What about Handel? A number of his tunes were instant popular successes,
>gaily hummed and whistled on the streets by the barrow-boys and
>costermongers, and not just in the market outside the Covent Garden
>Theatre.

Yes, a number of his tunes.  Surely not more.  And how many of the
barrow-boys and costermongers were present at Handel's concerts?

>Verdi? The majority of his operas were a huge popular success and he was
>(and still is) a hero to the workers and peasants, and not just because of
>the rather convenient acronym which his name represents.  'Va, pensiero'
>was on the lips of the masses.

The Italian workers and peasants love him as a national icon like they love
Di Baggio, the soccer player, and Eros Ramazotti.  How many workers and
peasants were in the opera houses?

>And consider the achievement of J.  Alfred Novello, son of the founder
>of the publishing business.  By publishing sheet music at a low price
>not only did he make profits and establish his father's business on a
>strong footing, he made possible the widespread development of amateur
>music-making e.g.  among choral societies.

How many costermongers played chamber music?

Robert