Sir Adrian Boult.

On last Wednesday I expect you all listened to Madame Nadia Boulanger discussing the music that she is to conduct for us during her visit this week. Now Madame Boulanger is well known as a great musician in the widest sense of the word—eminent as a conductor and executant; she is one of the most distinguished teachers of the day, to whom pupils come from all over the world; she has a wide and expert knowledge of music of every period, especially that of her own country, and composers, new and old, owe much to her sympathy. We have asked her to come this afternoon and describe how she came to build up the ensemble of singers which we are hearing this week and which has become so famous.

Madame Boulanger.

Nadia Boulanger:

It seems ridiculous to me to come here and speak about myself, but, having accepted the BBC's kind invitation to tell you about the origin of our group of singers, I am forced to do so. Perhaps, however, hearing of the struggles of one may be of some help to another.

I have been teaching music for the last thirty-four years. In the course of this experience I have found that one of the most useful and important ways of making musicians is to give them regular opportunities of taking an active part in making music. For this purpose I made a practice of bringing my pupils together once a week to sing. William Byrd has left us a charming couplet which runs:

How right Byrd was. Singing is such a pleasure, such a pleasant way of developing the ear, and such a useful one; such a good way of discovering good music and of becoming fully aware of its contents. The singing of music collectively teaches us also to submerge personal expressionism in favor of general expression.

The Cantatas of Bach were what we first chose to sing at our weekly reunions; but soon we began to extend our field of exploration as we wanted to hear and learn to hear music that was not available in everyday concert experience.