It was with deep sadness that I learned of the passing of MiklOs ROzsa.

Many years ago, in my youth, a friend and I were completely bowled over by Dr R6zsa's score For Ben-Hur (in a real cinema, I might add — not one of the lightless cafeterias that try to serve the purpose nowadays). We managed to find a California address from Who's Who in Music and sent a predictably sycophantic letter. To our amazement, Dr ROzsa replied, not with a patronizing form letter, but handwritten in pen and ink. He answered our questions, gave us inside information on forthcoming projects, and expressed his delight that there was someone Out there who was actually listening to film music.

I have re-read the letter many times during the last 30-odd years, and what always comes across is the man's humility. Here was one of the century's great composers, at the height of his powers, and in the middle of that period of astonishing productivity for which most will remember him, taking the time to write to two working-class boys on the other side of the world.

Just as there was the Herrmann sound, the Korngold sound, the Newman sound, the North sound, the Steiner sound, and the

Tiomkin sound, there was the ROzsa sound. He always remained true to his own musical philosophy and never pandered to fads.

He was the last of the Old Guard of film music, and now there is a new Old Guard. The likes of Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldmith, Ennio Morricone, Leonard Rosenman, and John Williams are now the grand old men of film music; so the torch of quality should be safe for a while yet.

Les Jepson

Worksop, Nottinghamshire