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THE GRAMOPHONE Publishing Offices : 25, Newman Street, Edited by London, ,.y.1. COMPTON MACKENZIE TELEPHONE: Museum 353 Vol. I . SEPTEMBER, 1923 No.4 EDITORIAL FOR some t ime past I have had in my head a scheme that requires much thought before i t can be considered a practical scheme. Now, i t will not be worth while wasting t ime on the elaboration of i t unless I have an assurance beforehand that a sufficient number of people like the idea to give i t their support. Briefly, my ambition is to incorporate a number of enthusiasts for good music on the gramophone in a society which will aim at achieving for gramophone music what such societies as the Me~ici have done ~or the reproduction of paintings and for the printed book. In or~cr to obtaI,n thc best mU?lc for t~e gramophone, i t is only necessary to persuade the recordmg compames that there 1S an artIculate body of potentiai buyers of records, clamouring for the best and willing to pay for i t . The first step is obviously to get the names of those who would become members of such a 'Society, if i t were started, with an annual subscription of five shillings: and I ask my readers to send me a postcard to 25, Newman Street, W.1, in the following terms: "I am willing to join the proposed Society and to pay five shillings a year if i t is started. I suggest that i t should be called The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ," with name and address. I f I receive 500 postcards I will take the next step, which will be to start the society and give i t a name. The Apollo Society has been suggested, but I do not much like it. I think i t would be a mistake to use the name of anyone great composer, for that would give a wrong impression of our object and character; but I am sure that some more ingenious mind will discover the obviously right name. The main object of the society will be to find out by the votes of the members what works we require most urgently to be recorded; and I should hope that we could agree among ourselves upon one complete symphony, two complete works of chamber music, and one complete concerto a year. Supposing that this involved 20 records, we should then have to obtain a guarantee that every member would buy the records; and with this guarantee we could approach the recording companies and ask them to what extent and on what terms they would meet our wishes. I t is a hazy scheme, but anyone can see the possibilities of development in i t ; and if the initial response to this feeler of mine is as great as I expect i t to be, my readers may rest assured that I shall leave nothing undone that I can do to get to work promptly on the scheme.

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THE GRAMOPHONE Publishing Offices : 25, Newman Street,

Edited by

London, ,.y.1.

COMPTON MACKENZIE

TELEPHONE: Museum 353

Vol. I .

SEPTEMBER, 1923

No.4

EDITORIAL

FOR some t ime past I have had in my head a scheme that requires much thought before i t can be considered a practical scheme. Now, i t will not be worth while wasting t ime on the elaboration of i t unless I have an assurance beforehand that a sufficient number of people like the idea to give i t their support. Briefly, my ambition is to incorporate a number of enthusiasts for good music on the gramophone in a society which will aim at achieving for gramophone music what such societies as the Me~ici have done ~or the reproduction of paintings and for the printed book. In or~cr to obtaI,n thc best mU?lc for t~e gramophone, i t is only necessary to persuade the recordmg compames that there 1S an artIculate body of potentiai buyers of records, clamouring for the best and willing to pay for i t .

The first step is obviously to get the names of those who would become members of such a 'Society, if i t were started, with an annual subscription of five shillings: and I ask my readers to send me a postcard to 25, Newman Street, W.1, in the following terms: "I am willing to join the proposed Society and to pay five shillings a year if i t is started. I suggest that i t should be called The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ," with name and address.

I f I receive 500 postcards I will take the next step, which will be to start the society and give i t a name. The Apollo Society has been suggested, but I do not much like it. I think i t would be a mistake to use the name of anyone great composer, for that would give a wrong impression of our object and character; but I am sure that some more ingenious mind will discover the obviously right name. The main object of the society will be to find out by the votes of the members what works we require most urgently to be recorded; and I should hope that we could agree among ourselves upon one complete symphony, two complete works of chamber music, and one complete concerto a year. Supposing that this involved 20 records, we should then have to obtain a guarantee that every member would buy the records; and with this guarantee we could approach the recording companies and ask them to what extent and on what terms they would meet our wishes.

I t is a hazy scheme, but anyone can see the possibilities of development in i t ; and if the initial response to this feeler of mine is as great as I expect i t to be, my readers may rest assured that I shall leave nothing undone that I can do to get to work promptly on the scheme.

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