1896 was another busy year for Bantock, with the publication of his articles ‘Confucianism and Music’ and (under the pseudonym G. Ransome) ‘The Idea in Music’ in NQMR and his account of his recent travels, with Frederick Aflalo, in Round the World with “A Gaiety Girl”; following a trip to Leipzig in August to promote his and Wallace's music, he organised a London concert on 15 December to advance the interests of a young generation of British composers. Wallace began work on his Creation Symphony and the ‘Song of the Knives’, completed his second symphonic poem Amboss oder Hammer (premiered at the Crystal Palace on 17 October), his theatre music Brassolis, The Rhapsody of Mary Magdalene (premiered on 15 December) and the song ‘Come to Me in My Dreams’ (text by Matthew Arnold) and published the piano arrangement of the Suite in Olden Style, along with his collection of short stories, The Lighter Life: Dialogues and Sketches. He also completed a two-piano arrangement (‘Schlusslied’) from Wagner's Die Meistersinger. Newman continued to contribute to the Free Review, and his article ‘Christian Logic’ represented the first of several articles in the freethought journal Truth Seeker.

10 GRANVILLE BANTOCK TO WILLIAM WALLACE

O Rabbi Rat!

Thy letter welcomed. Certainly, Davey shall have a free advt. Would he not prefer to write a letter, which we could publish at the end?

If you are really willing to write an article for February, I will say, “please do so.” NOW. or at your convenience. You may be sure I shall be only too glad to get out his next number satisfactorily before the meeting, and your help will be much appreciated. Let it not however take the form of an attack on long haired geniuses. You are upset by Hinton's appearance. He is really a good fellow, and one day you will admire his work. I have entirely rewritten my article on “The Idea in Music” and expended no little care on the construction, besides cutting out much superfluous rot.