David Lamb writes:

>The darkness was spread by zealots who saw serialism as the ONLY way,
>and who did everything they could to sabotage the careers of those who
>chose other ways of expression.

We hear much of these "zealots", but I find myself wondering who (if
anybody) they were.

Here in Britain, William Glock is often put In the Dock for his years
in charge of BBC Radio 3; but at a look at his record of commissions,
and what was actually played on R3 during his tenure, scotches the idea
that he was out to "sabotage" anybody.  There was certainly live Bax -
plenty of it, compared with what's on offer nowadays - and Ireland, and
RVW, and Howells, and Arnold, and what not...  I know, because I taped
most of it on reel-to-reel!

Glock had his preferences, like all of us, but was professional enough
not to let personal taste get in the way of doing his job fairly.

The cries of "sabotage" often emanated not from those composers who had
simply fallen out of fashion, but rather from those who had never been
in it to start with!  Rubbra, for example, received important commissions
under Glock: it wasn't Sir William's fault if our Little World had moved
on and was for a while not much interested in Rubbra's fine music.

I think we need to be careful about constructing myths about this Evil
Empire of Serial Hegemony. As far as I can see, it never existed.

Christopher Webber, Blackheath, London, UK
http://www.zarzuela.net
"ZARZUELA!" The Spanish Music Site

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