nd-Celebrated foreign composers identified with its history-Mendelssohn and Wagner-Richter and Wagner festival at Royal Albert Hall-Richter Concerts-Influence on public taste-August Manns and

-Unique service to British music-London Symphony Orchestra-Mr. Landon Ronald and the New Sy

chestral music. One might almost say that as regards this form of art, the vast majority of English people were at one time as dead to any a

o the performances of abstract music in the country. Such bands as there were, consisted of small bodies of perform

or player, an orchestra would be temporarily formed, and many of the best musicians of

rgan, in the production of his operas or oratorios. The orchestra, as we know it to-day, is of altogether a later date. However, the popularity and frequent performances of his orator

the modern orchestra, in this country. That which Handel had employed seems amazing to modern ideas. To think of a band that contains as many oboes as viol

those days it was customary for the great nobles of central Europe to keep a resident band in their palaces, and it is only reasonable to think that instruments of less piercing tone than that of the oboe, would be preferred for salon performances. Haydn had been in the service of Prince Esterhazy for

to the interest in abstract orchestral music, which was hitherto either absolutely wanting or quite latent. This

imited number of people would be found sufficiently interested in the subject to give it financial support, and thus the inevitable question of ways and means would be ever present and, indeed, even to this day it still confronts the directors who are, and have been from the first, entirely unpaid. In f

ammes. It was not long, however, before chamber music was discarded. From that day to this, the concerts have never changed in character. Under all circumstances, whether of success or depression, nothing but the cult of the great classics was regarded as the essential feature of the aims of the

embered that only a comparatively short time ago, there were but few performances given, and that even the

in the highest interests of art, and although its light may have been at times somewhat obscured by contempora

t may be mentioned that Mendelssohn conducted one season and Wagner another: the former w

specially for it, and, above all, Beethoven's colossal and immortal Ninth Symphony

istory of British music, was the first performance at the Queen's Hall in London, of

d an instantaneous success with which nothing can compare since t

the Society and its history that had long been wanting, and with the arrival of its centenary year, 1912, together with the ma

were of such practical value in raising its artistic and financial status. In each visit that he payed to this country, in 1829, 1842, 1844, and the last

must be mentioned, among others, Sir Sterndale Bennett (conductor), Sir Arthur Sullivan (conductor), Sir H

Berger,[25] a distinguished musician whose whole life has been devoted to high ideals, and Dr. W. H. Cummings, without who

on the great services rendered to th

nd presentations of his works in Germany. It was, I think, to a number of these fortunate individuals, aided by the enthusiastic Schultz-Curtius, that we owe the appearance of Wagner and the memorable Wagner Festival at the Royal Albert Hall, which he, in conjunction with Herr Richter, conducted in the year 1877. The enth

ed to inspire the orchestra with his own genius, cast such a spell over the audiences and aroused such fra

cities, and thus Richter had the gratification not only of doing great service to hi

agner's music wields over the masses, a single visit to a

ic. Eventually, however, another champion entered the lists, and valiantly did he bear himself. This was no other than t

engines, and all the multitudinous noises one can imagine in such a vast place of entertainment. However, he was no ordinary man.[26] He was energetic, determined, and courageous, and whilst being generally genial and even persuasive in manner, he was also undoubtedly of a somewhat combative nature.

severe struggle with the Palace authorities, who, even including the late Sir George Grove, inclined to the opinion that a string orchestra was unsuitable to the

as an institution more or less parochial. The majority of those attending them was mainly composed of local subscribers and their families, while the London element largely consisted of professional mu

sidents were taking advantage of it in ever increasing numbers, to seek the more varied attractions of t

ing that Manns had well earned the highest mark of recognition that could be bestowed on h

be claimed for them that, as regards the people generally, they were in any sense epoch-making. They were too remote from the masses, and the necessary expenditur

admitted, English composers w

ver redound to his honour and to his happy memory, that if only a few of the English works he produced had sufficient vitality to live in these more strenuous days, he, at least, gave the prominent native

m and popularise classics that were then unknown, and to bring into existence a body of supporters of sufficient importance to justify the la

, and with the aid of his friend, Sir George Grove, he took advantage of it, and literally played and preached them

n that the name of August Manns will go down in the hi

natural broad-mindedness that gradually enabled him to see things somewhat from the point of view of the co

tral music that we shall deal wi

allé was doing not less effectively,

we should say, music written by Englishmen, he never had or pretended to have, the slightest interest, and for many years no British composer's name c

is strong personality immediately made itself felt, the first result b

ediate point of view, was his establishing the "Manchester Conc

to his famous orchestra and no less famous choir, and it is certain that Hallé did, in

but his mind was so receptive even to the last, that however antagonistic to his own feelings some of the latest developments in orchestral music proved to be, he submitted

that of the "Gentlemen's Concerts" being one of them. He accepted the conductorship with the greatest reluctance

erts so great, that he nearly abandoned the idea of settling in Manchester. However, the director

him to remain, but through their efforts he not only quickly acquired a large teaching connection, but was able to establish his classical

settled, he was left with a mind delivered from that source of anxiety, and able to devote i

iation of purely abstract music, their sympathies being confined more or less to oratorios

who were willing to test their power of appreciation of this, to them, new experience. Hence, although the programme was mainly classical, he included a selection from Verdi's "Il Trovatore," doubtless with

orchestra, were the principal works given, Hallé being the pianist in the last-named. Primitive as this reads to-day, it caused

s that were later to attract the attention of musical Europe, and culminate in thei

irthplace of the awakening of the North of England to its own tre

e North and the Midlands have been mainly instrumental in bringing into existence, we shall be

y in England was the momentous appearance of Mr. Henry J. Wood[27] on the scene, and the establishing firs

nd other high-class music at a Promenade Concert with a view to attract payin

eas the management had conceived. Of these, the most famous and popular was known as the "Army Quadrilles." In order to give effect to it, several of these bands were put in different places on the highest story of the building, and had to march down in succession from their lofty position and gradually converge on the platform and, in combination, produce the amount of sound and provide the spectacular effect that was considered essential to success. All the time this long process was in execution, the conductor, with jewelled baton in

as induced to lend the weight of his influence to bring about a state of things more consonant with the dignity of music,

r, Manns and Hallé, although much may have fallen on barren soil,

ventured on his daring mission of appeal to the general public with

and other, in carrying out such a scheme, can adequately estimate what courage, energy and foresight were needed, to s

jewelled baton, the alcoholic atmosphere and the focused limelight, a programme is presented that not many years ago would have be

of the masses in regard to music, and it is a matter of thankfulness that its consummat

mbers, it may be remarked, were originally in Sir Henry Wood's band. Difficulties arose as to the employment of deputies by the older and better known players, who were, naturally enough, reluctant to give up such engagements as the great provincial festivals, and others of ser

more of the series of concerts decided on. This idea was, undoubtedly, a happy one, and proved a complete success. The curiosity of the pub

Mr. F. Gilbert Webb, the well-known critic, writes: "Such a processio

for it would be often impossible to make the arrangements of such men fit in with dates that are, and obvio

t, and one of the most prominent among them, Mr. T. E. Wotton, in writin

r the field of competition wa

d upon, a leading idea being that the orchestra, from

p has been fraught with consequences of the highest importance, and the

t Hall. These concerts have, undoubtedly, been a great success, and have not only been a source of financial gain to the orchestra, but

e advertising columns of the daily papers shew. Their services are in con

aid that this band practically consis

d no little influence in spreading a knowledge of orchestral music in circles that would otherwise probably have not been reached. Their principal members are generally veterans who, in early life, gave up much of their spar

or membership were not exacting, it is true, but it must be remembered that the facilities for the acquisition of even these, were far different in those days to

ow, the late Mr. George Mount, Mr. Herbert W. Symes, Mr. Leonard Beddome and others, it is safe to say that the organisation would have collapsed long ago in the early years of its career. Fortunately, however, th

which time Mr. George Mount was conductor. Upon the death of the former, Mr. Henry M. Morris succeeded him, and upon his re

after subscribers and the paying audiences that so persistently eluded their efforts. The music performed at the concerts was restricted both by the limitations of the technical resources of the players, and the taste of such people

d be any real merit in the playing of amateur orchestras. At the time of my early association with one of them, not only were the audiences confined mainly to friends of the players, but the performances were looked at askance by critic

aying of concerted works, became a regular feature of the concerts, and numerous letters I have at various times received, testify to their appreciation of the e

ed that the difference between the performance of an amateur band, however w

, but educated musicians, the amateur, on the other hand, is more often than not, a player of humble attainment, whose

ing ability is exceptional, judged by any standard, but of such, the number is, and must naturally be, extremely limited.

emands nothing more than ordinary technical ability, is swayed by a wild enthusiasm

bass parts of two symphonies, and lays down the law as to the relative artistic merit of the works on such evidence as the parts provide-at the same time, with no excess o

existence of a great amount of the most splendid music ever written, is in danger of being either forgotten or ignored, and it is to this their attention might well be turned. Beyond the fact of its being seldom or never heard, a great deal of it ma

chubert, Mendelssohn, Gade, Raff and Goldmark among the moderns, to say nothin

ually worthy of attention th

their efforts they have given many thousands of people a chance of hearing music that otherwise might never have been br

TNO

written, and has been succeeded by the em

ting and instructive "August Manns

Sir Hen