SMITH (Alexander Brent, 1889-1950, from 1934 Director of Music at Lancing College)

Engaging group of 25 Autograph Letters Signed (some with initials) to Stanley W. Jenkins and Harold Chipp of the Cheltenham Gramophone Society, about his talks to the society on five occasions, "I am glad my lecture wasn't a complete frost. I know so little about the methods ... of gramophone lecturers" (12th February 1943), "I am crawling about like a mentally defective hen" (27th July 1944), "I could do Schubert chamber music, but I dont want to be classed as a 'one man' man !" (10th July 1945), "Frankly I do not feel at ease with Records, I miss the personal touch ... I ought to come to a meeting or two just to see how other people lecture" (24th July 1945), talking of "the staggering amount of information all of you can put forward" (21st May 1947), "May I try - 'the Pianoforte and its music' that gives me wider scope" (15th June 1947), "I feel such an offering must be deader than mutton to most of you. But as you ask me ..." (7th June 1948), and inviting members to his new opera 'Catherine Morland', later "You wont miss much in Catherine; its only three thousand chords of C major alternating with three thousand and one chords of G major (very artistic and significant: it provides ... almost unbearable tension)", (11th July 1948), praising Chipp as an accompanist, "You sly creature !", "Sir Percy Hull was here today ... one of the best after lunch speeches he had ever heard was that by a certain Mr C", and describing his talk to Federations of Women's Institutes, about an imaginary W.I. member aged 6 to 106 visiting Vienna, and the murmurs in the audience " 'Haydn, my dear' 'must be Schubert' 'I thought so'" (22nd April 1949), 37 sides 8vo or postcard, Brookthorpe, near Gloucester, Clovelly (1) and no place (1), 12th February 1943 - 29th May filing holes, sometimes touching a letter or two, a few rust marks from clips

Brent Smith wrote operas specially composed for Lancing and for the Gloucester Music Club, of which he was president.

Item Date:  1950

Stock No:  52731      £150

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