The basic aim of these Classical Music Appreciation classes, conducted by Rex Benn at Lane Cove Uniting Church Hall and at Hornsby Central Library is to enthuse course members with the love of classical music. They have been going for more than seven years already, and slowly growing in course numbers. The challenges for the course presenter are: (1) to try to come up with new ways of presenting material so that 'old' members can still maintain interest, and (2) to pitch the level in such a way that people new to classical music and those with sophisticated knowledge already can both get something out of the classes.
 
Though the format of presentation varies from year to year, the basic content usually covers sections of the following:  the basic elements of music (rhythm, melody, harmony, form, timbre); the history of classical music (medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, contemporary  -  but with minimum attention to 12-tone serialism);  instruments of the symphony orchestra;  the lives of the greatest composers;  the web of influences between composers and styles.