The orchestra is first class, and the sound in the auditorium is wonderful. Not only that, but Smallens, whatever else he did, had five three-hour rehearsals in October, and as a result everything went very smoothly and pleasantly. It all soudned good, sometimes very good, and original, especially Scene Two, the Infernal scene. But what delighted me more than anything was the bassoon trill when Leander says: 'You've been eavesdropping on state secrets!' I had completely forgotten about this trill, and it sounds marvellous, particularly as the bassoons are sitting right under my nose. During the afternoon I sat in the library and made corrections to some of the parts. Polacco was complimentary about my conducting and especially for not wasting time in rehearsal.