To quote you on a different thread mart... I'll go back in my box then.

A

I wonder (out of interest) in what sense exactly can snatch 140a be considered an item of "repertory", considering that its identity seems to have completely illuded even that small clique of colleagues who might (all things being equal) have been expected to recognise it?

There may - perhaps - even be a case for Mr Grew deducting marks for its inclusion since it seems to be wholly 'off topic' with respect to the title of the thread.

Oh dear, did you not notice that Puzzle 140a was solved. The performance from which the extract was taken was given in a major concert hall, and was issued on CD, that's how I came to know it. Just because a work falls out side the limited repertoire of one or two (again the same two) members here, does not mean it falls out side the repertoire of others.

Well I'm sorry about the typo - I make lots of them but generally pick most of them up in Preview. I don't think I have failed to contribute a reasonably wide range of snatches to Mr Grew's thread - indeed the evidence of his statistics would suggest otherwise I think. Of course it's fun, and when occasionally a Member expresses a sense of humour in response to a particular extract it seems all part of the fun. It is a pity therefore that certain members take it so seriously and begin to throw insults at others.

I suspect that Mr Grew's original idea was for Members to provide snatches that others should (with a reasonable and fairly wide knowledge and experience) be able to recognise, or make an informed guess at. (Surely that is why he used the word 'Test'.) I have nothing at all against some people deciding to offer snatches that are deliberately chosen because most people (except very few) will not know them. But they in their turn should not be so offended at responses given that seem (to those giving them) both apt and humorous. Surely there is still room for some fun, even when decidedly esoteric extracts are on offer.

In any event, there is no need to offer a YAWN.

Here is a proposed new rule: After a puzzle has been solved or has expired, it is open to any Member to issue a "repertoire challenge" (a new message type). Once he has been challenged, it is the task of the original setter to provide evidence of a public performance of the work in question having taken place in a concert hall or church (or even in a wireless broadcast perhaps) at some time during the past year. The setter will have five days to come up with this; if he fails, he loses 500 points and the challenger gains 500 points. If on the other hand the setter does provide the evidence, the challenger will lose 1000 points and the original setter will gain 1000 points. The "evidence" we suppose would consist of a link to a concert programme, or to a composer's web-site, or to a broadcasting schedule, etc. Do Members find this desirable?

I agree with autoharp regarding our Esteemed Quiz Moderator's latest suggestion.  Although, I must admit, the thought of gaining 500 points to take me out of the red is quite tempting!

Could Member Baz's 142 be Eric Coates, certainly an English composer I think.

English yes, but Eric Coates no.

Baz

We concur entirely with Member autoharp. On the one hand there are works which are or at least ought to be well known to all Members which are rarely broad-cast and which seldom find their way into the concert hall, something which given the priorities of those who determine broad-casting schedules and concert programmes we see as quite unsurprising.

On the other hand there are many works which would pass the performance/broad-casting test on which no right-thinking Member would or should wish to waste storage space either on the shelves or between the ears.

We find that the matter of repertoire status would be best left to the individual and collective conscience rather than reflected in the Points Table. We would be most unlikely to risk a challenge: should the rule be in place we would be certain Members would first check for a work's eligibility before posting, and Heaven knows there are enough concerts and radio networks on the globe that all sorts of things must find a hearing regularly.

Should such a rule emerge it should in any case take into account the recorded repertoire as well as that performed and broadcast, no?