Walker-My_Musical_Ex.. - Walter Cosand

MY MUSICAL EXPERIENCES
He added, ' There is, indeed, one training which the
amateur does not get—that of public opinion—and
yet to this the artist is at times compelled to sacrifice
his convictions.' He also said that an amateur who
has high attainments will be an object of hostihty to
second-class pi-ofessionals ; such will always sit on a
musicianly amateur when they can.
In all that concerned art, and his position as giiide
and teacher, Sterndale Bennett always stood on a
pedestal, and would tolerate no trifling. He had
promised me at the start that he would give me the
same training as if I were to play in public, that he
would be as exacting in his demands as if I were an
Academy student ; and he kept his word to the letter.
He always marked what he wished to be prepared,
and once—only once—when I told him I had not got
as far as he had marked, he just said, in a tone from
which there was no appeal, '
If you have hot prepared
it, you shall read it through.' It was not a pleasant
lesson, for he kept saying, quietly but firmly, ' Go
on.' I believe I played as many wrong notes as right
ones, and the lesson was so effectual that I never
again came to him with an excuse of the kind.
Another time I wanted, in a mood of girlish frolic,
to see how he would take it if I brought him a piece
of modern music instead df the "Wsber Sonata which
he had chosen for me. I laid the piece on the desk
and looked at him, and wondered what he would say
with a grave glance, he lifted it from the desk, and
;