MUSIC AND MORALS.

Evening Star, Issue 21519, 18 September 1933, Page 2

MUSIC AND MORALS.

TO THE EDITOH. Sir,—l read with much interest the historical disquisition from your correspondent 0 Porto,” in last Thursday’s “ Star,” wherein he made pleasant fun of my contention that, “in the old days good music and good manners went hand in hand.” The point overlooked by “0 Porto,” however, is that my reference was exclusively to dance music; also it should be noted that by “ o!d_ days ” I meant the period when this form of music was at its best. Whatever their private morals may have been, the dance “fans ” of that day at least needed no alcoholic stimulant to enable them to withstand the cacophonic din which only too often passes for music nowadays. But even if I admit “ 0 Porto’s ” misreading of my text, surely he will not dispute the known fact that the public manners of polite society in the eighteenth century were considerably more polished than our modern examples. In any ease, I thank thee for that word, “ O Porto,” for the theme may serve my pen on a future occasion.—l am, etc. L.D.A. September 16.