SATURDAY, JAN. 31, 1885. WEEKLY: PRICE 3D. BOXES Repaired and put into thorough order at MODERATE CHARGES. PRICE LIST OF NEW MUSICAL BOXES FREE ON APPLICATION. Messrs. NICOLE FRERES, Musical Box Manufacturers, 21, Ely Place, Holborn Circus, and 17, Rue Kleberg, Genève. MAKERS AND REPAIRERS. GEORGE WITHERS & CO. MUSICAL STRINGS, From Rome, Padua, and Naples. A FINE COLLECTION OF ITALIAN INSTRUMENTS. Bows, Cases, Music Stands, &c. See Price Lists. 51, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON. The NEXT STUDENTS' CONCERT will take place at ST. JAMES POPULAR ORGAN RECITALS, interspersed with Vocal Music, HALL, on FRIDAY MORNING, Feb. 20, at 2.30. Conductor, Mr. By order, Royal Academy of Music, Tenterden Street, Hanover Square. TRINITY COLLEGE, LONDON, President-The Right Hon. The EARL of ABERDEEN. The next STUDENTS' INVITATION CONCERT, open to Students, OW and BROMLEY INSTITUTE.-SATURDAY MISS ADA SOUTH, R.A.M, MR. SANTLEY will be happy to receive donations for the relief of the Widow and Children of the late SIGNOR CASABONI (for 15 years a member of the Italian Opera Company), who died after a very long illness, leaving them totally unprovided for.-5, Upper Hamilton Terrace, N.W. Members, Diplomés of the College, and their friends (by ticket only), will ORGAN FOR SALE. Now in Congregational take place on Tuesday evening, February 3rd, at 7 o'clock. By order of the Academical Board. Mandeville-place, Manchester-square, W. THE SOCIETY OF ARTS' MUSIC Will be held in London, at the Society's House, in the week commencin 8th June. Full particulars on application to the Secretary, H. TRUEMAN WOOD. Society's House, Adelphi, London, W.C. ME WITH 25 PER CENT DISCOUNT FOR CASH BORD'S PIANOS FEBRUARY 5th. RARE CHANCE. A Musician desirous to overtake a well-established fashionable MUSICAL CONCERN-best part of London-concerts and teaching-please address under: M. E., 77, care of Messrs. Weekes & Co. £50 cash required. DEPUTY PUPIL, oe young organist of a country Church, or ASSISTANT ORGANISTS' service in return for lessons and practice under a first-rate London Organist; accustomed to choral celebrations. Would play daily evensong or other or perhaps might arrange as Articled Pupil-West End Church. Address, E., 50, Rockingham Street, Uxbridge. Portion of the STOCK of MUSIC of the late Mr. WM. ROBINSON. MESSRS PUTTICK & SIMPSON will SELL by AUCTION, at their House, 47, Leicester Square, W.C., on THURSDAY, February 5th, and following day, at 10 minutes past I o'clock precisely, the first portion of the extensive STOCK of MUSIC of the late Mr. WILLIAM ROBINSON, of 369, Strand, and 95, St. Martin's Lane, W.C. THE "PERFECT" HYDRAULIC ENGINE for supplying Wind to Church, Chamber, American Organs, and Pedal Harmoniums, from the largest to the smallest made. Manufactured with all the latest improvements by J. F. BLENNERHASSET, are compact, effective, and cheap; they are made of gun metal, and will work for years, entirely superseding hand blowing, and require only a very small amount of attention to keep in the most perfectly reliable condition. Mr. Blennerhasset has fitted them to numerous Instruments up to Four. Manuals, and can give many references. May be seen every day at the "Royal Aquarium," where they supply the Large Organ, by Jones of Fulham, during the Recitals and Concerts. Estimates for the Engines, separately or for fixing, and all necessary work supplied free. Call and see it at work at Mr. Blennerhasset's Studio, supplying his Three-Manual Practice Organ, pronounced by competent Judges to be the most unique in the Metropolis; and where in a comfortably appointed apart. ment you can practise for an hour for ONE SHILLING, together with the privilege of using an extensive library of music. Note the Address :J. F. BLENNERHASSET, R. WALTER BACHE'S ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE of ORIGINAL WORKS OF FRANZ LISZT, ST. JAMES'S HALL, Half-past Eight. Liszt's "Dante" Symphony, Liszt's Concerto in E flat (pianoforte-Mr. Walter Bache); Liszt's" Angelus," for strings alone; Liszt's Scène Dramatique, "Jeanne D'Arc," &c. Orchestra of 85 Performers; Choir of 100 Ladies. Vocalist-Miss Alice Barbi. Conductors-Mr. ED. DANNREUTHER and Mr. WALTER BACHE.-Stalls, 10s. 6d. Balcony, 35.; Admission, Is. Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co., 84, New Bond Two minutes' walk to the right from the King's Cross Metropolitan Street; Chappell & Co., 50, New Bond Street; usual Agents; and Austin's Ticket Office, St. James's Hall. IA, VERNON STREET, PENTONVILLE, LONDON, W.C. Railway Station. E.H, HEINKE, 40, King's Road, Peckham-TRADE TERMS to the Clergy off every make of Pianofortes, American Organs MUSIC AND MUSICIANS OF ITALY IN THE BY A. HUGHES HUGHES. of Sebastian, Georg Muffat, and Kuhnau. Handel and Bach (whose bicentenary is to be celebrated in 1885) were born too late in the seventeenth century to require more than a passing notice. The Spanish school, whose reputation was nobly upheld by Morales and Vittoria, had ceased to exist." In France-unless we call Palestrina's master, Goudimel, a Frenchman-there had been no composers of note before the commencement of this century. Henri Dumont, born in 1610, was celebrated for his masses; Cambert is still honoured in his own country as the originator of French opera; while the most famous musician of France during this period was Giovanni Battista Lulli, an Italian by birth and education, though early naturalized in France. Rameau, the contemporary of Handel, belongs rather to the eighteenth century. A paper read before the College of Organists. THOSE of you who have some acquaintance with the history of music will no doubt readily guess the reason why, when asked to give a lecture on that subject, my choice fell upon "The Music and Musicians of Italy in the Seventeenth Century." For the benefit, however, of those who may not be so well versed in that branch of literature, may I be allowed to say that my principal motive in deciding upon that period was, that the seventeenth century forms one of the most important epochs-if not the most important-in musical history, embracing as it does the birth and what may be called the early manhood of The Flemish, or rather the Gallo-Belgian school, two forms of music which have taken a lasting hold upon all classes of musical society? The impossi- as our lamented friend, the late Mr. John Hullah, bility of treating with any degree of clearness music preferred to style it—with its long list of famous men in general during the seventeenth century compels us headed by Gyllem Dufay, and containing such names to confine our attention this evening to the music of as Josquin des Près, the "idol of Europe," the Cipriani di Rore and his still more famous one country; and the one which naturally suggests" divine itself to our consideration is that country which was successor Roland de Lassre-this school had ceased at the time in question facile princeps in the world to exist, or, more properly speaking, had been merged of music-viz.: Italy. I must confess to another in the Italian school; indeed, the last-named commotive in determining my choice of subject, namely, poser was half Italian by education and is better the belief that the musical illustrations of a later period known by the Italianized form of his name Orlando would be more acceptable and more easily rendered di Lasso. Many other Flemish composers also had than those of an earlier, while at the same time less already made Venice their home, the first to do so being Adrian Willaert. This brings us round again familiar. to our starting point-Italy. meant Before entering more closely upon the subject immediately under our notice, let us glance very In this country music had already made great probriefly at the state of music in the other countries of gress; indeed, as a science it may almost be said to Europe at this period. We will commence with have been in its zenith, for every expedient that conEngland, which comes next in importance to Italy. trapuntal skill could devise had been tried to heighten We find that at the beginning of the seventeenth the effect of the music of the sixteenth century. And century music was already in a flourishing state in for grandeur and nobility of conception, what living our country, both as regards sacred and secular. composer could surpass such works as Palestrina's Some of our greatest anthem composers, Tye, Tallis, masses (which are listened to with pleasure even now, Farrant, &c., had already passed away (leaving, on the rare occasions when they are performed in however, undying works behind them), but the public)? not to mention his beautiful motets and those "English Palestrina," Orlando Gibbons, was only just of his scarcely less famous contemporaries Animuccia beginning to write; while, with regard to secular and Nanini. Nor did the Italian composers of the music (which at this time principally sixteenth century confine themselves to sacred music, madrigals), our most famous composers of that but most who excelled in that branch excelled also class of music were almost all still living; in in secular music. That such was the case, we can fact, it was in the first year of this century that the hardly be surprised, when we remember that at this famous collection "The Triumphs of Oriana" (alias time the two branches of music were so closely Queen Elizabeth) appeared. Among English com- united. This connection can be most easily traced, posers of note who lived in the seventeenth century perhaps, by comparing the motet with the madrigal. may be instanced the brothers William and Henry The ordinary hearer will find it difficult, in many cases, Lawes, Matthew Lock, who still, I believe, maintains to detect the difference in style; and, in fact, though his ground as the reputed author of the beautiful the name motet is generally given to sacred com"Macbeth music against the claims of several positions, you will find works in the British Museum rivals, Pelham Humfrey, and Dr. John Blow, whose of an entirely secular character bearing the name of stars, though of no mean magnitude, paled before motet; while, on the other hand, such a title as madrigali spirituali" is of no uncommon occurrence. that of the greatest musician whom England has yet seen-Henry Purcell, who was born and died in the Among the principal madrigal-writers of the sixteenth second half of the seventeenth century, and who was century were Cost. Festa, Oraz Vecchi, Felice Anerio, distinguished alike for his vocal and instrumental, Giovanni Croce, and last, but not least, Luca Mahis sacred and secular compositions. renzio. Though, as we have seen, the science of music had reached such a pitch of excellence in Italy, there wanted yet one thing-I mean the infusion of art into music; and this was to be the work of the seventeenth century. In Germany music can scarcely be said to have passed its infancy, for although Henry Isaac, Luther's colleague Walther, and a few others were German by birth, they belong rather to the Flemish school. Heinrich Schutz, who has been styled "The father of German oratorio," was born two years after Orlando Gibbons, in 1585, and survived the latter nearly half a century. After Schutz the chief German musicians of this period were—like their successors in the eighteenth" and nineteenth centuries-distinguished more by their instrumental than by their vocal compositions. It will be sufficient here to mention the names of Froberger, the great organist, Johann Christoph Bach, the uncle (To be continued.) The Tonic Sol-Fa Reporter has, under the title of Free Tuition" by W. R. Glanvill, a discriminating account of a well-advertised system "free" from real, solid method, but not "free" from expense; a scheme which one cannot but regret persons of talent and teaching experience should parade side by side with institutions actually doing good self-denying work. A SHORT HISTORY OF ENGLISH CATHEDRAL began a debate within himself whether he should then MUSIC. BY JOHN S. BUMPUS (Member of the S. Paul's Ecclesiological Society). (Continued from page 34.) PART III.-ENGLISH CATHEDRAL MUSIC AND ITS end his days by hanging or drowning. Not being able to resolve on either, he thought of making chance the umpire and drew out of his pocket a piece of money, and tossing it into the air, it came down on its edge, and stuck in the clay; though the declaration answered not his wish it was far from ambiguous, and would have given unspeakable comfort to a mind less disorganised than his own. Being thus interrupted in his purpose, he returned and mounting his horse rode on to London and in a short time shot himself." The Chapter House in S. Paul's Churchyard is pointed out as the scene of Clarke's melancholy suicide. Reading, one of his former fellow-pupils, was passing through the churchyard when he heard the report of the pistol, and rushed in only to find his friend in the agonies of death. The true date of this event has never been correctly ascertained. Burney asserts that Clarke shot himself in July, 1707, while Hawkins informs us that it was on Nov. 5th in the same year. The latter date is more likely to be the correct one, for on reference again to the Old Cheque Book, we read: 1707, Nov. 5th. By vertue of a warrant from the Lord Bishop of London, Dean of the Chapell, I have sworn and admitted Mr. William Croft into an organist's place now become ful by the death of Mr. Jeremiah Clerk. Rh. Battell, S.D." A few words may be said in this part of our history concerning the Rev. William Holder, Sub-dean of the Chapel Royal, and one of the Canons Residentiary of S. Paul's, inasmuch as he was the author of A Treatise on the Natural Grounds and Principles of Harmony, 8vo, 1694, a work drawn up, apparently from the Preface, for the use of the Gentlemen of the Chapel Royal. "He first," says Dr. Rimbault, "treats of sound in general, how it is produced and propagated; then on the vibrations of sonorous bodies; on the nature of concord, as consisting in the coincidence of the vibrations of two chords; and on the three kinds of proportion, arithmetical, geometrical, and harmonical. The work is written with great perspicuity. . . . Dr. Holder was a great disciplinarian. Michael Wise, who perhaps had fallen under his lash, used to call him Mr. Snub-dean." He died at the house Two of Clarke's Morning Services in C minor and G he occupied in Amen Court as Canon Residentiary of S. were printed by Dr. Rimbault in his collection of CathePaul's on Jan. 24th, 1697, and in the crypt of that Cathedral Services in 1847, while a portion of a Communion dral he was interred. There is an anthem of Sub-dean Holder's among the Tudway MSS. in the British Museum, "O praise our God, ye people." He is said to have gained great celebrity for skill in the instruction of the deaf and dumb, and upon which subject he published a Treatise, The Elements of Speech, and which appears to have entangled him in a controversy with one Dr. Wallis, who likewise claimed the invention. Dr. Blow turned out many excellent pupils who afterwards became eminent in the ranks of English Church composers. Two of his best were Jeremiah Clarke and William Croft, constantly associated the one with the other. Clarke, after finishing his education as a Chapel Royal boy, soon became organist of Winchester College, which he left in 1693, on being appointed successor to his master as Almoner and Master of the Choristers at S. Paul's, and of the same Cathedral he afterwards (on the opening of the choir for divine service upon the National Thanksgiving for the Peace of Ryswick, Dec. 2nd, 1697), became organist, still retaining his other appointments. On July 7th, 1700, The Old Cheque Book of the Chapel Royal informs us that, " by vertue of a warrant from the Right Reverend the Dean of the Chapell Royal, Mr. Jeremiah Clarke,* and Mr. William Crofts were both sworn in Gentlemen Extraordinary of the King's Chapell (and to succeed as organists according to merit when any such place shall fall voyd), by mee, Rh. Battell, S.D. Witness, Edw. Braddock, Clerk of the Cheke." Shortly after another entry reads as follows: "May 15th, 1704, Mr. Peggott, organist of His Majestie's Chapell Royall, departed this life," and again on May 25th, "by vertue of a warrant from the Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of London, I have sworn and admitted Mr. Jeremiah Clark and Mr. William Crofts joyntly into an organist's place vacant by the death of Mr. Francis Piggott. Rh. Battell, S.D." These entries speak for themselves. Service in A minor was given in Arnold's Cathedral Music. His anthems have appeared in various forms, for the most part in Boyce and Page. and Perhaps the highest flight of his genius in anthem. composition is that beginning "I will love Thee, O Lord." This fine piece of music is more frequently performed than anything else of Clarke's. It is perhaps one of the most vigorous and musicianly anthems produced at this period, abounding as it does in dramatic force and deep pathos, according as the words of the 18th Psalm demand; the composer evidently bestowed more than ordinary care study upon it, and aimed at bringing into expressive relief the skilful contrasts of divine poetry. Dr. Jebb, the learned and judicious lecturer on Church music, has given his own valuable opinion on this particular anthem as follows: "No commentary which I have ever read has to me so brought out or illustrated the meaning of that wonderful Psalm as this composition. Nor can I doubt that the good providence of God has often exercised an influence even over composers of a secular mind (among whom, however, the one now mentioned is not included) when engaged in the service of the sanctuary; so that when present in the assembly of the faithful, Saul is often to be found among the prophets." Others of Clarke's anthems are written in an extremely pathetic, mournful, and elegiac vein, especially "Bow down Thine ear," "How long wilt Thou forget me," and "O Lord God of my salvation." He could, however, at times shake off his boding thoughts and produce such quaint and sprightly strains as those to be found in "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem," written for the occasion of one of Queen Anne's state visits to S. Paul's. Clarke was likewise the composer of some fine solid psalm tunes, one of them known as "S. Magnus" or "Nottingham," is still a great favourite. (To be continued.) Clarke was usually of a morbid and melancholy temperament; this, at least, is reflected in the majority of his THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF MUSIC. compositions, which are by no means numerous, for an The Earl of Powis presided at a meeting at Welshuntimely end was put to his career before his genius had pool, held recently, to promote the foundation of a time to expand itself. Concerning his death the following Montgomeryshire scholarship at the Royal College of story is commonly received. "Early in life he was so Music. In moving that it was desirable that such scholarunfortunate as to conceive a violent and hopeless passion ship should be founded, and that if the necessary for a very beautiful lady, of a rank far superior to his three thousand pounds could not be raised at once, own; and his sufferings under these circumstances interest of what amount was raised should be applied became at length so intolerable, that he resolved to to the partial maintenance of a student, he referred to terminate them by suicide. Being at the house of a the interest taken in the movement by the Prince of friend in the country, he took an abrupt resolution to return to London, his friend, having observed in his manner marks of great dejection, furnished him with a horse and a servant. Riding along the road a fit of melancholy seized him, upon which he alighted, and giving his servant his horse to hold, went into a field, in a corner whereof there was a pond, and also trees, and * The variation in the spelling of the names so occurs in the Old Cheque Book. Wales, and said the Cymro was upon the whole more musical than the Saxon, except, perhaps, in the northern counties, where there was a mixture of Danish blood. Mr. Henry Leslie, in seconding the resolution, gave an account of the Royal Academy of Music and of the efforts made to merge it with the new college. A committee was formed, and Lord Powis, Captain Pryce, Mr. R. E. Jones, and Mr. Dugale were elected trustees. The scholarship it is proposed to be formed will be worth £100 a-year. Accompanist Mdme. Essipoff, Mdme. Norman-Néruda, Dvorak. Mr. Sonata in A flat (Op. 29) No. 3, for pianoforte alone.... Beethoven. Trio' in F minor, Op. 65, for pianoforte, violin, and Dvorak. Bennett. Bach. Mr. Charles Hallé, Mdme. Norman-Néruda, Last week the above programme was given, as Mr. Maas, who was advertised to sing "If with all your hearts," and "In native worth," was "suffering from severe hoarseness, and quite unable to appear." Thorndike was scarcely appreciated as he deserved, if applause is a fair criticism, for his careful and musicianly rendering of Purcell's song. In these days, when perThe pianoforte trio of Dvorak in F minor is the only formances above mediocrity obtain, as a matter of course, number of this scheme that calls for special notice, and at least one recal for the performer, Mr. Thorndike's hardly that, seeing that the work had been performed at singing certainly merited more prolonged and heartier these concerts last year. I had the good fortune to hear signs of approval. In his second selection he was scarcely the trio before its production in St. James's Hall, at the so successful. Dvorak's song was far from effective, but house of Mr. Oscar Beringer, when the eminent Bohethe fault was obviously with the singer and accompanist; mian composer played the principal part, and excited a a song so peculiar calls for special study before the interfurore. When Herr Joachim arrives the trio is to be pretation can be agreeable, or even intelligible. "Frührepeated. lingsnacht," too, was given in a conventional and unemotional manner. I need only repeat, for the time being, my highly favourable opinion of this trio as a work of original genius The opening quintet is one of Mozart's loveliest, and, in thoroughly carried out in all constructive details, and every sense of the word, strongest, works. It will be reuniformly interesting in respect of themes. Of the four membered by all those who have once heard it by its movements the first allegro is obviously the most elabobeautiful adagio, con sordini; but perhaps the first move-rate and important. Here the distribution of the work ment, with its unforced contrapuntal devices and its unceasing melodiousness, is really the finest part of the work, as the finale is unquestionably the feeblest. Mdme. Essipoff appeared to greater advantage in the trio than in her solo performance. A more expression-trio), stamps a Bohemian brand on the work with unmisless, mechanical rendering of the "Appassionata" could scarcely be imagined. But ever. as a machine, without mind or heart, Mdme. Essipoff proved far from perfect. In the variations, where a little showiness was admissible, if scarcely desirable, she appeared more in her element; but otherwise her task was gone through from beginning to end without even an affectation of enthusiasm or sympathy, and the impression left on my mind was that Mdme. Essipoff was as glad as I was when she reached the final chord. among the three instruments must strike a student of the score as masterly. The second movement, an allegretto grazioso in the unrelated key of C sharp minor, with an enharmonic change to D flat major at the alternative (or takable force and purpose-"a genuine tune of home growth," as the annotator remarks. The poco adagio in A flat (relative major) supplies an adequate test, or touchstone-such it always must be of the composer's capacity; and the final allegro betrays no declension of power or thought. The director deserves the thanks of the public for his promise to repeat the trio with Herr Joachim as violinist. Its performance lasted fifty minutes. Mr. Charles Hallé, naturally, could not play the pianoforte part with the same sort instructive "feeling" as Herr Dvorak himself, who quite electrified his hearers at Mr. Oscar Beringer's party, but he may always be relied Both Schubert's Trio and Mozart's quintet were performed for the twenty-eighth time at these concerts. Today, being the anniversary of Schubert's birth, we are promised his Quintet, Op. 163-his sublimest contribu-on for conscientious objectivity and close attention to the tion to the store of chamber music. ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. text. Beethoven's Sonata (Op. 31) comes within Mr. STEINWAY HALL. The Festival of the "Conversion of St. Paul" falling on Sunday, Jan. 25, the Feast was celebrated on Monday, Jan. 26, as usual, by a grand performance of a liberal selection from Mendelssohn's oratorio "St. Paul," as the anthem in the evening service. A portion of the space under the dome was reserved for the band and augmented choir; the rest, with the nave and aisles, being open to the public, and holders with tickets being admitted to the choir. The congregation must have numbered Mr. Frank Lindo gave a highly successful dramatic recital at eight thousand or more. The choir was reinforced to the the above hall on Tuesday, Jan. 20th. This gentleman's versanumber of 350. The band, which consisted of 50 players tility and never-failing memory were well displayed in Macaulay's Hamlet," "The Convict's Escape," selected from the best metropolitan bands, was led by Mr. V. "Virginia," a scene from " Nicholson, and included Mr. Lazarus, Mr. Harper, and Mr. G. Jud Browning's account of Rubinstein's piano playing, and Horton. The solos were given by members of St. Paul's choir-pieces by Clement Scott, A. C. Collins, etc. Music was not wanting. Songs were contributed by Miss Frances Hipwell, a Messrs. Winn, Kenningham, Kempton, and De Lacy. young lady with a powerful contralto voice, and Mr. Lawrence Martin, sub-organist, was at the organ; and Dr. Stainer, Kelley, a new tenor who possesses a voice of agreable quality organist of the Cathedral, was the conductor. It need hardly be and sings with much taste: he was most successful in a song of added that the performance, the sacred character of which was his own composition entitled "Contempt." The hall was well enhanced by the majestic edifice and by the occasion of the cele-filled by an appreciative audience. bration, was perfectly successful, and afforded gratification alike to the musical taste and the religious sentiment of the vast congregation present. Dr. Señor Sarasate will, it is said, give four concerts during April and May in London. SCOTCH FESTIVAL AT THE ALBERT HALL. Mr. William Carter held a "Scotch Festival" on Monday evening at the Albert Hall, in honour of Burns's birthday (Jan. 25th). His choir sang several part-songs with efficiency, and Mr. Sims Reeves actually appeared. The popular tenor chose "The Land o' the Leal," and "Auld Lang Syne" (with chorus) which was enthusiastically encored. Mdme. Patey sang "John Anderson my Jo," and "Scots whae ha'e." Mr. Santley made his mark in "Afton Water,” and “The Deil's awa wi' th' Exciseman." Miss Patti Winter and Mr. E. Lloyd also appeared, and the latter won a bis for "Draw the sword, Scotland." Herr Poznanski, always engaged at these concerts, played as a violin solo, with taste and finish, Häuser's "Airs Ecossais Variés." Miss Mary Davies and Mrs. Antoinette Stirling appeared in turn. The Pipers of the Scots Guards marched through the Hall and their band played pieces. Mr. E. Bending, one of the conductors, was at the organ, and played a duet with Mr. W. Carter. LADBROKE HALL. A. M. Miss Marian Demsiel, recently so successful in operetta a Southend-on-Sea, Gravesend, and other places on the banks of the Thames, gave a dramatic and musical entertainment on Thursday afternoon, January 22nd, at Ladbroke Hall, Notting Hill. Miss Demsiel, as an actress, displayed considerable proficiency in the genteel comedy of Mr. Planché, "The Loan of a Lover," and in other pieces. Several pretty songs were well rendered by the young lady in the course of the afternoon, and, in spite of a severe cold, Miss Demsiel may be credited with a decisive success. Her voice is a soprano leggiero, clear and resonant, with excellent high notes. Miss Demsiel sang on this occasion the following pieces, viz., "A Day Dream" by Blumenthal, where high A flat has to be taken, and high A natural is set down as 66 " optional"; Some Day" by M. Wellings, and sundry excerpts from "The Loan of a Lover," including the arietta in C, "I've no money, so you see." Several ladies of title were present, and the Hon. and Rev. E. P. Byng, incumbent of Miss Demsiel's district church near the Old Brompton Road, patronised the entertainment in person. The other characters in M. Planché's comedy were sustained by Mr. J. C. Bauer, Mr. J. Nelson, Mr. Mark Leonard, and Miss Blanche Ripley. Mr. Mark Leonard, the director of the day, also appeared with Miss Demsiel in his own entertainment called "Peculiar People." A "reading" of sensational style, and a dialogue of boy and girl might have been omitted as decidedly de trop, not to mention one or two other rather intrusive items not exactly suited to aristocratic society. For these Miss Demsiel was not in any way responsible. A. M. SYDENHAM. An interesting selection of sacred music was given in the Church-in-the-Grove, on Jan. 21, to commemorate the re-opening of the organ after its recent restoration and enlargement. The organist of the church, Mr. J. Smyth, shewed a wise discretion in securing the services of such a finished exponent of organ playing as Mr. C. Warwick Jordan, Mus. Bac., whose judiciously selected programme was well adapted to the capabilities of a small instrument, and it may justly be said that the organ performed all that was asked of it in a very satisfactary manner. Mr. Jordan's pieces were the following:-"Offertoire sur deux Noëls" (Guilmant); Poco Adagio (Haydn); Allegro Maestoso, from Sonata (Mailly); "Hommage à Mozart" (J. Baptiste Calkin); Minuet and Trio from Symphony in G minor (Sterndale Bennett): Larghetto in F (Dr. E. Bunnett), and Allegro in B flat (Handel). Without exception these works were interpreted with admirable musicianly judgment and skill. It may safely be said that all Mr. Jordan's work was appreciated, and he certainly shewed the beauties of the organ to full advantage. The vocalists were Miss Kathleen Grant, Miss Alice Grey, Mr. Charles Chilley, and Mr. J. Smyth. The organ has been enlarged and re-constructed by Messrs. Bate & Co., of Burdett-road. Mr. Tobias A. Matthay (Professor at the Royal Academy of Music) has consented to repeat his pianoforte recital on Thursday, February the 5th, at Clapham Hall, Clapham. Mr. J. T. Hutchinson will be the vocalist. EDINBURGH. " was A very fine peformance of Mendelssohn's "St. Paul" given by the Choral Union, on Jan. 12th. The soloists were Barrington Foote, and Mr. H. Sanderson. Mdme. Samuell gave Mdme. Clara Samuell, Miss Hope Glenn, Mr. Henry Guy, Mr. an almost faultless rendering of the beautiful air, "Jerusalem," while Miss Hope Glenn's fine voice was heard to great advantage in "But the Lord is mindful." Mr. Barrington Foote sang the bass music with much effect, his rendering of "O God, have mercy" being marked by much feeling. Mr. Henry Guy's singing of "Be thou faithful unto death was quite a feature of the evening. The choruses, one and all, were admirably sung, and had evidently been rehearsed with great care. Special mention must be made of the rendering of the fiery "Stone him to death" and the exquisite "Happy and blest." The band, which on former occasions had shewn a decided tendency to overpower the voices, kept well within bounds. Mr. Bradley but not least, Mr. Collinson conducted in a most skilful manner, supplied the organ accompaniments with much taste, while last, and to him must be attributed in a great measure the success which attended this performance. The fifth orchestral concert took place on Jan. 19th, with the following programme :— The Haydn Symphony was a great treat, and was much enjoyed. It was played con amore by the band, and no wonder. Herr Barth, who made his first appearance at these concerts, is a very fine player. The performance of the "Emperor " Concerto both by orchestra and soloist left nothing to be desired. Subsequently Herr Barth gave two solos in a singularly happy manner. The Cologne String Quartet charmed us once again with their playing. Schumann's Sinfonietta, consisting of overture, scherzo and finale, and a portion of Rubinstein's ballet music, "The Grape," were the remaining orchestral pieces. It is always difficult to judge of ballet music apart from the action, but it may be safely said that Rubinstein is a past-master in the art of writing characteristic dance music, and this was shewn on the present occasion in the dance representing the "Wines of Hungary," where a very fine violin obbligato is introduced, and which was admirably given by Herr Heckmann. Miss Hilda Coward was the vocalist of the evening, and, while somewhat overweighted in Gounod's song, was more than ordinarily successful in her singing of "Should he upraid." CANTERBURY. C. H. Mr. The St. Lawrence Musical Society provided the numerous gathering of their patrons, who assembled at the Oddfellows' Hall recently, with an unusually attractive entertainment. There was no lack of instrumental music of excellent quality. Miss Ada South received a flattering reception, and in Lacome's "Estudiantina" she well sustained the favourable opinions that had been formed of her ability. The piece in which she most distinguished herself was "Love Voices." She also sang" Why are you wandering," which was rewarded with an encore. Rhodes, an ever-popular vocalist, received a cordial greeting; he sang "The Golden Land" and also the "Warrior Bold." Mr. Herr Franke is preparing for a brief season of German Charles Wilson, who has a voice of an attractive quality, sang opera, perhaps at Covent Garden Theatre during the the "Blue Alsatian Mountains." Mr. Tench White deserves summer. Herr Hans Richter will be the conductor; and the band moved under his direction; they opened the prowarm congratulations for the efficiency and precision with which it is said that Fraulein Lille Lehmann, Fraulein Malten, gramme with "Le Pré aux Clercs," and their ability and reand probably Herr Vogl will be engaged. The operas to sources were chiefly brought out in a selection from "Il Trovabe performed will be "Die Walküre" and "Siegfried," tore," arranged by Mr. Tench White. Another performance of the two most popular works of the "Nibelung's Ring" the band deserving special mention was the selection arranged tetralogy, and "Tristan und Isolde," and two performances by Mr. Tench White from "Lucrezia Borgia." The hall was will be given of each, crowded, |