Len Mullenger wrote of missing out on hearing at a concert a quartet by Onslow, of whom he had not heard. Just the other day I heard an attractive quintet of his on the radio, and made a mental note to find out something of him, not least why a French composer has an English name. It transpires that Onslow's father, a member of parliament, left England for France after a scandal, and married a French woman. Onslow (1784-1853) was the eldest of three sons, spent his youth in London and returned to France, took up the cello, studied with a number of people including Reicha, and produced an enormous quantity of music which, apart from four symphonies, seems to consist entirely of chamber music, including 35 string quartets, 34 string quintets, a nonet, and much other chamber music with piano. There appears to be little of it available on CD. He was born and died in Clermont-Ferrand, a city I don't remember reading of in any other musical association. In passing, Len mentioned that the replacement quartet at the concert he attended travelled from Aldeburgh to Leamington by train between afternoon and evening concerts. Having myself once attempted a similar feat which met with spectacular failure, I am lost in admiration! Richard Pennycuick [log in to unmask]