Sir, - Can anyone explain the notable omission of the ebonies from the rather exclusive synonym for playing the piano: "tinkling the ivories"? I get quite keyed up at the discordant note struck by the phrase, which, while it evokes images of the noble elephant's creamy-white tusks, fails to sing the praises of the equally majestic ebony tree.
Like the elephant, then, let us not forget that the often-forgotten ebonies partner their ivory colleagues in the musical idiom, so that they will not only be tinkled, but will twinkle too by honourable mention. - Yours, etc., (Father) Pat Deighan,
Laytown,
Co Meath.