Sir, - Maura Eaton, Music Officer of the Arts Council points out (August 22nd) that Aosdana honours the creative rather than the interpretative artist. Quite right. While she may be aware that Louis Stewart is one of the world's great jazz guitarists, she might be forgiven for not knowing that he is a composer with a distinctive body of work to his credit. If she had done her homework, however, she would have been aware that in 1981 her employers, the Arts Council, commissioned Louis to write the suite Joycenotes which had its first performance at the Cork Jazz Festival in 1982, was performed as part of the Dublin City of Culture celebrations in 1991, and was issued as a recording in Norway in 1992. If she wants a list of Dr Stewart's other compositions, that can be arranged. - Yours, etc. Gerald Davis,
Capel Street,
Dublin, 1.