ABSTRACT
According to Coates, Mackenzie wanted him to study composition as his first study and viola as his second. The Report which followed, under the heading of Pianoforte Second Study, ran: Has talent, but will not work. Even though Coates primarily intended to study the viola at the RAM, he spent a good deal of time on composition. They were started during his final weeks at the RAM and were finally first performed at a RAM Student Concert on 15 December sung by their dedicatee Gertrude Newson and conducted by Alexander Mackenzie. The Four Old English Songs are wistful songs with instant melodic appeal. It also meant financial stability, with more time to devote to composition and not having to accept every engagement he was offered. The highlight of the Menuetto is the coda where there is a brief passage of imitation between the first violin and viola.
