Eric Sams Letters to Andrew Porter

10.

32, Arundel Avenue

Sanderstead

South Croydon

Surrey

CR 2 8BB

Dear Andrew,

   You see, my work is gradually achieving recognition; the Head Postmaster has kindly given me a special cryptic address. It's probably just to humour me, I expect; so don't you bother about it.

   The enclosed is to suggest how the cipher was used in composition. Carnaval ought to provide the least controversial of examples. As well as the obvious, usually right hand, melodic use, which sparks off a four-, eight- or twelve-bar sequence, there is a hidden, usually left hand, constructional use which then takes over and provides the next contrasting part of the pattern, an inset of two four or eight bars before the return of the main theme. Of course, when one comes to think of it, the Sphinx couldn't be there to explain the secret; that's the opposite of what Sphinxes do. I've marked some of the secrets (there are plenty more, Clara–themes and so on), and I'd love to hear sore time whether you found them interesting, or surprising, or convincing, or what.

   Needless to say, there's no hurry, and I'd like to take this opportunity of wishing you and your readers all the best for Christmas. To help with that, I won't even bother to offer you Sherlockian monograph on a hundred and forty different kinds ASCH. (It's a very significant circumstance that the one form I can't turn it into is CASH).

yours ever

Eric

P.S. I see that terrible cipher article has got as far as galleys, which have just arrived.

The explanation is, I take it, that those organists of yours have been led to believe that the ciphering referred to is relevant to their own interests; and indeed perhaps “a continuous sounding of the same note due to some defect” is a not unfair way of describing it.

   But thank you very much anyhow for getting it past them.

P.PS.

I’ve heard from Maurice Brown, who has been to Vienna and is very unhappy.