The sources, upon which this book is wholly dependent, are generally quoted in the section entitled ‘Sources and Further Reading’. I cannot overstate the extent to which I have depended on them.
I am grateful for assistance at the City of London Libraries and the Royal College of Music Library. I have also been helped by the Bodleian Library and the Library of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Whereas the content of libraries may be different, their staff seem to share the same sense of dedication and to display a degree of courtesy, helpfulness and speed of response which is both exceptional and exemplary.
Others to whom I am most grateful for pointing me in the right direction, advice, information, or just help and support, are Dr Roland Aubrey, Nigel Blackwell, Nicholas Boggis-Rolfe, Jenny Brown, Peter Byrom, The Rev. Anthony Chambers, Sophie Chessum, Paul Collen, Peter Collett, Christopher Collier, Sarah Dodgson, Miles Emley, Alex Findlater, Dr Brian Gilmore, Jenny Haimes, Geoffrey Hodgkins, Sir Jeremy Isaacs, Nigel Jaques, many of my former partners at KPMG, Richard Macnutt, Dr Robert Manning, Robert Meekings, Dr Janet Morgan, Roger Munnings, Provost Nicholson and his colleagues at Oriel, Dr Caitríona Ó Dochartaigh, Christopher Paterson, Sir Joseph Pilling, Dame Janet Ritterman and her colleagues at the Royal College of Music, Clive Ryder Runton, Dr Amar Sabberwal, Yvonne Scott, Daniel Snowman, Sue Sturrock, Pamela Thompson, Nicholas West, Paul Whitfield and Peter Willett. These are just some of those with whom I have corresponded.
I am deeply grateful to those who commented on specific excerpts and early drafts, in full or in part: Dr Guy Deutscher, Dr David Maw, Andrew Robinson, Dr Esther Schmidt and Dr Janie Steen. Jonathan Price and David Vaughan gave me unstinting help and support. Because I did not act on all their suggestions, they cannot be assumed to agree with the final text, and responsibility for any errors that remain is entirely mine. But without their input, whatever shortcomings the book may have would have been more considerable.
The team at Icon, led by Peter Pugh and Jeremy Cox, has been tremendously helpful, and I must especially thank the editors Duncan Heath and Ruth Nelson, Jenny Rigby, and the designer Christos Kondeatis.
This book could not have been written without considerable effort by, and encouragement from, Professor Robert and Mrs Elizabeth Steen, and Sir Stanley Cochrane, Bart. I owe Rosemary my wife a special word of thanks for her skill, for reading drafts and for unswerving support. She is now expert in locating a Geburtshaus, a Casa Natale, a museum or a ruined house.