A classical education

SIR – It is gratifying to read the recent letters supporting the role of classical music on the school curriculum.

Before I retired as a primary school teacher, I regularly played soft, gentle classical music to my class of sevenand eight-year-olds. It provided a calming background to the working environment and seemed to help their concentration. It was a joy to see children absorbed in their work, gently humming under their breath instead of arguing or disrupting others.

My pupils quickly got to know which pieces they liked and it was common for a child to come to me and say, “Can we have the quiet music on please?” When asked which piece they wanted to hear, they would say, “That one that sounds like the sea,” or “That one that makes you feel happy.”

These are some of the things I do miss about teaching.

Jennifer Dean

Davenham, Cheshire