Commonplaces

I WENT to a party, late in March, to celebrate the ‘launch’ of the 50‐volume Catalogue of printed music in the British Library to 1980 by KG Saur Ltd, three volumes of which have already appeared. The party was held in the magnificent boardroom of the BL'S new administrative offices in Novello House, Wardour Street, where two musical equivalents of Gilbert & George tinkled away at a piano with selections taken from the first volume of the catalogue, while a large number of dignitaries tanked up on something called ‘Bulgarian claret’ (which was quite passable, I must allow). I was addressed in respectful tones by many famous gentlemen, and not a few nubile ladies, all of which was good for my morale, though you can't do much about it at eleven o'clock in the morning (or probably in the BL boardroom at any time)!