Sir, - Another connection between the late lamented Yehudi Menuhin and music-making in this country was recalled to me recently and may also be of interest to your readers. The occasion was a request to him by Mr Vincent Strunks, an organiser of classes in traditional music in Derry, for a comment on the practice of some tutors in the Western Education and Library Board's schools music service, with the tacit support of the then director, of actively discouraging children learning music in school from also attending traditional music classes.

The comment was swift in coming, strong and to the point: "I find it unbelievable and totally unacceptable and typically bureaucratic that any child should be prohibited from following both traditional and classical teaching together. The parents are absolutely right, if they are compelled in this way to make a choice, to stay with traditional music. Traditional music is the basis of all music, and a child must begin with that.

"When I think of the incredibly rich, beautiful and heart-warming traditional music of Ireland, this attitude is enough to enrage any real music lover, but then any teacher who forces a child in this manner is probably in any case not a good music teacher, thus a double reason for the young girl to stay with traditional music. - Yours sincerely, Yehudi Menuhin."