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crowded audience. The novelty of the programme was an overture by Mr. F. Lamond, entitled "Aus dem Schottischen Hochlande," which proved to be a work of considerable ability. Mr. Emile Sauer played with his customary brilliancy and energy Mendelssohn's G minor Concerto, and the concert closed with Beethoven's 5th symphony. At the second of these concerts a new symphony of Dr. Stanford's, L'Allegro ed il Penseroso," was performed; while at the third concert of the series two novelties from the pen of the conductor (Sir A. C. Mackenzie) figured in the programme. On this occasion (April 3) Madame Patti was presented with the gold medal of the society, to mark her return after a somewhat long absence. The other new works produced at these concerts were G. T. Dennett's "Leonatus and Imogen," the revised version of Dr. Hubert Parry's delightful symphony in F, which was originally heard at Cambridge, and a tragic overture, called "Melpomene," interesting as being one of the few works by an American composer the fame of which has reached London.

The ever delightful Saturday afternoon orchestral concerts at the Crystal Palace recommenced on February 16 with a memorial concert in honour of Wagner's memory, and continued through March until April 29, when Mr. Manns' Annual Benefit Concert took place. Owing to the illness of Mr. Manns, the concerts were conducted in the earlier part of the year by Sir A. C. Mackenzie, Dr. Hubert Parry, and Mr. Cowen, Herr Manns only resuming his post on April 6, when he was accorded a most hearty welcome. The list of works performed during the season comprises several of Beethoven's symphonies, Berlioz's "Dramatic" symphony (for the first time), Brahm's "Academic" overture, Cherubim's “Anacréon,” and pianoforte concertos by Chopin, D'Albert, Henselt, and Scharevenka, as well as many other works which space fails us to record. The compositions which obtained a hearing for the first time were Max Bruch's "Fantasia on Scotch Airs," Moszkowski's Violin Concerto, Scambati's "Te Deum," and Walthew's brilliant little cantata, "The Pied Piper of Hamelin." Besides the usual favourites, we may mention amongst solo performers the names of Herr Emil Sauer, Miss Ethel Sharpe, Miss Florence Christie, Mr. Ed. Branscombe, and Mr. Willy Hess, who appeared for the first time at these concerts. The fortieth year of the existence of the concerts was celebrated by a performance at which were given only the works of composers who have to thank Sydenham either for their introduction or for their recommendation to the public. A large reception given in the summer in honour of Mr. August Manns testified to the immense esteem in which he is held, not only by those more immediately connected with him, but by the musical profession and public as a whole.

We must not omit to mention the excellent series of three orchestral concerts given by Herr Nikisch in June and July, at which Mr. Paderewski and M. Achille Rivarde appeared, and a Polish violinist, M. Adamowski.

Perhaps the most universally appreciated concerts are those which are held every Saturday and Monday during the winter in St. James' Hall. The year 1895 has shown no diminution either in the excellence

of the performances or in the enthusiasm of the audience. One event of special interest was the return of Signor Piatti to the post which he has held for so many years with singular success. The novelties among the programmes, which were this year, as usual, few in number, consisted of a string "Quartet " in F by Rubinstein, a "Suite" of Bach's, and an interesting pianoforte quintet by Christian Sinding. The executants included, besides the usual performers, the names of Señor Arbos, the refined and artistic violinist, of Messrs. Sauer and Mühlfeld, and of Mr. Becker, an accomplished 'cellist, with Miss Gladwys Wood, Mesdames Helen Trust, Hope Glenn and Berry, and Mdlle. Sylvia Rita. The season concluded on April 8, when Miss Eibenschütz and Mr. Leonard Borwick delighted the audience with a very perfect rendering of Saint Saëns' variations on a theme by Beethoven for two pianofortes, when Dr. Joachim played three of his "Brahm's Hungarian Dances" in his own unsurpassed style, and when Mr. Bispham and Mme. Sapio sang.

The series of concerts given by Mr. Dolmetsch in the early part of the year, consisting of chamber music of the olden times, included a Purcell commemoration performance, at which specimens of the master's works were given under the original conditions, on lute, viol, and virginal. Excellent work was also done by the Musical Guild-a society of former students of the Royal College of Music-which brought forward, amongst other works, a set of sonatas by Dr. Stanford, in its original shape, and a quintet of Dr. H. Parry's. At one of the delightful concerts given by Mr. Gompertz's quartet, Mr. Emile Kreuz's new "Quartet in D minor" revealed exceptional attainment and promise. The British Chamber Music Concerts organised by Mr. Ernest Fowles have also done good work in introducing compositions by native writers. The fashion, recently adopted, of giving joint piano and vocal recitals is one to be highly commended, and has met with great success. Concerts by Messrs. Borwick and Plunket Greene were succeeded by the successful "joint" concerts of Mme. Haas and Mrs. Hutchinson, of Señor Sarasate and Mme. Marx Goldschmidt, and of Mr. Marseck and Herr Breitner.

In the early spring of the last year the Bach Choir inaugurated, under the energetic direction of Dr. Villiers Stanford, a Bach Festival. As we have for so long had our triennial Handel Festival, it is quite time that a similar tribute should be paid to the memory of the great Leipzig master, and the interest and enthusiasm exhibited during the Festival week seem to point to a more frequent performance of some of Bach's masterpieces. On April 2 the Festival opened with a performance of the "Passion according to St. Matthew," Miss Hilda Wilson and Miss Fillunger, Messrs. Bispham, Black, and Wing sustaining the solos, while Dr. Joachim gave his valuable services in playing the obligati. On the following Thursday the concert consisted of "Selections," "Wachet Auf," and "O Ewigkeit du Donnerwort," sung with consider. able precision and grace by the choir; the concerto for three pianofortes in C major, played by Miss Zimmerman, Miss Fanny Davies, and Mr. Borwick, and the Violin Concerto in A minor played by Dr. Joachim in his usual masterly manner. The concluding evening of the Festival

was devoted to the Great Mass in B minor, a performance which, in spite of some slight imperfections, brought to a satisfactory end a week of more than ordinary interest.

Another memorable event in 1895 was the Festival held at the close of the year to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Purcell's death. The students of the Royal College of Music opened the Festival on November 20 by a performance at the Lyceum Theatre of Purcell's only opera, "Dido and Eneas," in which Miss Agnes Nicholls and Miss Ina Bedford won distinction. A noticeable feature of this beautiful work is that the action throughout is carried on in music, which was quite unusual at the time when it was written. The chief interest in the "Festival," however, centred in the memorial service in Westminster Abbey, where a great choir of 366 voices performed Purcell's "Te Deum" and several other of his anthems, to the accompaniment of the organ on which he used to play, and of an orchestra of strings, trumpets and drums, under the direction of Dr. Bridge, Sir John Stainer and Sir Arthur Sullivan. In the evening the Royal Choral Society honoured the musician's memory with Dr. Parry's "Ode in Honour of Purcell," in which the solo parts were sustained by Mme. Albani, and Messrs. Ben Davies and Andrew Black. The Festival closed on November 22 with a performance given by the Philharmonic Society of the "Ode to St. Cecilia." An interesting collection of portraits and manuscripts of the composer was on view at the British Museum during the week.

At the meeting of the three choirs at the Gloucester Festival in September, tribute was again paid to Purcell by another performance of his glorious "Te Deum," the other interesting features of the week being the performance of Dr. Hubert Parry's "King Saul," and of new works by Mr. Cowen and Miss Ellicott, the former a sacred cantata entitled "The Transfiguration," and the latter a Fantasia for pianoforte and orchestra.

Of greater interest, however, was the Leeds Festival in October. There Dr. Parry's "Invocation to Music," Mr. Arthur Somervell's "Forsaken Merman," a "Suite in D minor" by Mr. Ed. German, and a Symphonie Poem entitled "Visions" by Mr. Massenet were heard for the first time, whilst of older works there was a splendid performance of Beethoven's "Grand Mass in D," of Mozart's "Jupiter Symphony," of Mendelssohn's "Italian Symphony." The festival, which was a brilliant success, wound up with the "Creation" and with Sir A. Sullivan's "Golden Legend." A triennial festival was also held in September at Cardiff, which introduced an oratorio by a Belgian composer, M. Tinel, while giving performances of Verdi's "Requiem," of Stanford's "Bard," and of "The Light of the World."

The programmes of the Royal Choral Society in 1895 included a few novelties, such as Henschel's "Stabat Mater," and Dr. Parry's "King Saul."

The Royal Society of Musicians, at an anniversary performance at Queen's Hall, revived Sterndale Bennett's "Woman of Samaria,” and commemorated Purcell in his splendid five-part Psalm "Jehovah quam multi."

The thirtieth year of the London Ballad Concerts commenced on January 5 at Queen's Hall, and the supply of this popular form of entertainment was kept up through the succeeding months.

Amongst performances by amateur societies must be mentioned the revival of the "Dixit Dominus," by the Handel Society, and excellent concerts given by the English Ladies' Orchestral Society, by Mr. Moberley's String Band, and by the Countess Radnor's Orchestra. Mr. Bispham celebrated Brahm's birthday by a delightful concert, at which the "Magpie Minstrels " sang several madrigals with artistic finish. And the crowded audiences which on Sundays have thronged the Queen's Hall and the Albert Hall at the instance of the Sunday League give abundant evidence of the fact that English people will go to hear good music as long as it is given.

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Besides those

The year was not remarkable for new productions. already alluded to, we have had some promising works from younger composers, such as Mr. Walthew's merry Pied Piper of Hamelin," which was produced at the Crystal Palace, and compositions by Mr. Coleridge Taylor and Mr. Hurlstone. But, if the year has not been so rich in new music, there has been at least no lack of executants who have made a first appearance before the English public. At the head of the list stands Herr Moritz Rosenthal, perhaps the greatest living piano virtuoso. Amongst violinists we have heard Senor Arbos and Herr Willy Burmeister, a brilliant young pupil of Joachim's. Then Herr von Dulong has delighted people with his thoroughly artistic and pleasing singing, and Senor Rubio, a talented Spanish 'cellist, and the Sisters Sutro, with their performances on two pianos, have added to the attractions of the year. Besides these, our two musical schools have produced débutantes of no mean order. Miss Marie Motto and Miss Ethel Barnes, two young violinists, who exhibited considerable talent and real artistic feeling, Miss Sybil Palliser, who appeared at the Gloucester Festival, and Miss Gwendolyn Toms, another pianist of remarkable promise, all bear testimony to the excellent training which is received at these institutions.

We have to lament this year the loss of many ornaments of the musical profession, chief among whom was Sir Charles Hallé, the wellknown pianist and composer. Besides Sir Charles Hallé in this list we must place Mr. Lazarus, the famous clarinettist, Mr. Carrodus, whose figure at the leader's desk has been familiar for so many years, Mr. George Callcott, Mr. Solomon, Mr. Benjamin Godard, and perhaps the greatest loss of all, that unique personality and inimitable artist, dear to all classes of society, Mr. Corney Grain.

OBITUARY

OF

EMINENT PERSONS DECEASED IN 1895.

JANUARY.