"Acknowledging another notice of the book:—
Translation.
MON ABRI,' CRICKLEWOOD.
Dear Mr Klein,—Thanks a hundred times for the exceedingly flattering article you sent me. Let us hope, for the sake of the sale, that the public will accept your point of view. If Mr Ascherberg should think of bringing out a new edition (when need arises), I will point out two or three errors which still exist, even in the 'corrected' copies I have received. I had already altered them in proof, but they were inadvertently left in.
What frightful weather! I dare not go out any more. I hope you and your family are well.—Tout à vous,
M. GARCIA.
Here Mr Klein's contribution ends.
Two months after the publication of 'Hints on Singing' the subject of our memoir completed his ninetieth year, and with this the feeling was borne in upon him that at last he might enter on a less strenuous life.
Accordingly in the following September he relinquished his professorship, and membership on the Committee of Management at the Royal Academy of Music, and thereby severed a connection of nearly half a century. Already a middle-aged man when he first took up his work at the Academy under Cipriani Potter, he saw him succeeded as Principal in turn by Charles Lucas, Sterndale Bennett, Sir George Macfarren, and finally Sir Alexander Mackenzie, who was holding the position at the time of his retirement. Allowing for a possible break of a month or two, Señor Manuel Garcia was actively engaged in teaching singing at Tenterden Street for the long period of forty-seven years. The Chevalier Alberto Randegger, who was his colleague on the staff for the greater part of this time, sent me the following letter:—
"Although Señor Garcia and myself have been good colleagues for many years at the R.A.M., he was, as you know, so reserved, modest, and retiring that very, very few people were by him allowed to approach or frequent his society on very intimate terms."