COMPOSERS

One afternoon, Sir Adrian Boult was conducting a program of contemporary music, one of the items being a work by the composer X. The rehearsal had been going on for some time when Mr. X himself arrived, sat in the hall, and listened to the music for a while, showing increasing signs of restlessness and irritation. In the end he stood up. "Sir Adrian," he called out, "Sir Adrian, could you PLEASE take it a little quicker?" Sir Adrian Boult peered out into the hall. "Ah, Mr. X," he said, "Yes, certainly, we can take it quicker if you wish. But you do realize that we haven't come to your piece yet, don't you?"