Miss Pollard and Miss Fanny, who had gasped a little at some of the
drastic changes, were pleased with the improvement in the teaching of
French, and still more so with the innovations with regard to music. This
had been a very special subject at St. Cyprian's College, where Miss
Mitchell had been educated, and she was anxious to introduce some of the
leading features. Her theory was that most girls learn to play the piano,
a few practise the violin, but hardly any are taught to understand and
appreciate music, apart from their own often unskilful performances. She
arranged, therefore, to hold a weekly class at which a short lecture
would be given on the works of some famous composers, with musical
illustrations. A few of the selections could be played by the pupils
themselves or by Miss Fanny, and others could be rendered by a
gramophone. The main object was to make the girls familiar with the best
compositions and cultivate their musical taste.

"Constant listening is the only way to learn appreciation," said Miss
Mitchell. "You form a taste for literature by reading the best authors,
not by trying to write poetry yourself! Learning an instrument is a good
training, but certainly only a part of music--to understand it and
criticise it is quite another matter."

So all the school, including even the little girls, met to listen to the
masterpieces of Beethoven, Chopin, or Schubert, and were encouraged to
note particular points and to discuss them intelligently.

"At the end of the term," said Miss Mitchell, "we'll have a concert, just
among ourselves, and then I hope some of you will surprise me. You must
all practise hard, because it will be a great honour to be asked to play
on that particular afternoon."