ORCHESTRAL

12pp., 16mo. (12.5 x 9 cm). Stitched pamphlet on light blue paper, printed in dark blue ink. Very good. Seventeen testimonials, all dating from 1890, thirteen of them from Banbury. The first testimonial by the Vicar of South Banbury, C. E. Graham-Jones, and the last by F. G. Hughes of Birmingham, Member of the National Society of Professional Musicians; and including others by Frank H. Shayler of 151 Oxford Street [London] and Charles Coxeter, Junior, 92 Gower Street [London]. Scarce: no copy traced, either on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat.

On one side of a piece of pink wove paper, roughly 19 x 15 cm. In poor condition, aged and ruckled, with several closed tears repaired on reverse with archival tape, and a hole (roughly 1 x 1.5 cm) through the musical notation, which heads the page and consists of a staff with grand clef and three notes of music. Beneath this: '[signature, underlined] Willy Hess | April 1892'.

12mo, two pages. Printed on one side of a piece of paper roughly nine inches by seven, folded one to make a bifolium. Lists the Orchestra's officers (conductor; committee - the Hon. Mrs. Noel Farrer, Miss Olive Macleod and Miss Stack (Hon. Librarian); and hon. treasurer Hon. Noel M. Farrer) before setting out its rules over fifty lines, beginning 'The object of this Orchestra is to meet weekly or fortnightly to play good music well and efficiently.' A websearch for the Orchestra (which was perhaps exclusively for women) and for members of the Farrer family yields no results.

Both cards self-stamped. CARD ONE is very good and has printed on it a stamp of Queen Elizabeth II. Addressed to Powell and his wife, it does not appear to have gone through the mails. 'Most kind of you to write - we led a quick <?> in the car, & then a meeting in the afternoon. We <?>: Jill also, who we havent seen lately. | Many thanks | [signed] Adrian C. B.' CARD TWO is somewhat aged, with a stain and some wear on the address side. It reads 'I too have written to Kellogg's! | [signed] Adrian C Boult'.

English oboist (1897-1988). One page, octavo. Good, on thick laid paper. Pin marks in one corner and neat red stamp '20 MAR 1942'. He 'would like to see the proofs of the Mozart Quartet to check up the crescendo's and diminuendos just in case they are not correct.' He agrees with the 'scheme of marking only the parts'. 'With regard to Boughton's times I have them safe, I hope to play them in the near future but am rather at the mercy of the BBC.'