Alboni was a consummate artist the world was not slow in discovering. Such method of producing the tone, such balance of phrasing, such faultless finish, could only have been derived from careful and good discipline, and from rigid study.

1

Unless, as we have already said, we may look for her successor in Mdlle. Trebelli, Alboni may be pronounced the last of the great Italian school of singers. Her loss to the stage will be irreparable. Such an example had a vast and a vital use. It showed young candidates for lyric honours the pure light by which they were to steer, and taught them equally what they were to fly from. To hear Alboni through an evening's performance would be worth, to an attentive listener, half a dozen ordinary lessons. Whoever returned from the hearing without benefit would never have made a singer. Alboni's method and style are incomparable, such as Rossini himself would have pronounced good, and would have taught, and, indeed, such as he did communicate to the singer himself. It is no blague to say that Rossini gave Alboni lessons in singing. More distinguished master never taught more distinguished pupil! But why lose Alboni at all-is there necessity for it? There is none that we see. Alboni is just now in the prime, the very prime of life. It is not, therefore, because she feels growing old that she thinks of retiring. At her age many artists think of making their first grand coup. Alboni's voice was never more mellow, never more elastic, never more vinous, more rotund, more guava-sweet than at this moment. It is not, consequently, from any decay or falling off of the vocal powers that she thinks it incumbent on her to withdraw from the scene of her glories. In the prime of life and the pride of power Alboni's resignation would constitute a riddle not to be solved by our modern Edipi. "Davus sum, non Edipus ;" we, at all events, cannot pretend to untie the knot.

Let us hope that the rumour is a canard, and that the journal in question has been misinformed. It is impossible for us to believe, without more accredited information, that the greatest singer in the world would think of retiring with the laurels shining greenest on her brow, and her whole aspect beaming consciousness of youth and power. No; Alboni is not going to say "Farewell!" May the day be long, far distant! So will art-the vocal art-thrive and flourish. R.

ON

N the occasion of the recent performance at Vienna of two symphonies, by M. Hector Berlioz, towards the end of last month, in the above, the Deutsche Musikzeitung contains the following remarks: quasi impertinent, and wholly sophisticated:

"Vienna, the old Capua of men's minds' (Capua der Qeister') suddenly thinks her honour is concerned in her placing at the head of all questions of progress,' although, as regards music, in a most peculiar manner. It is not whatever German intellect, by its indefatigable perseverance, has appropriated as an imperishable treasure-it is not what has been proved, by the most searching experiments, to possess a high value, but what has been pronounced by the best part of the nation unsuccessful and felicitous, that it is which people now wish to glorify above aught else.

satisfy its own conditions; and that, further, when it descends to the delineation of events, even these should corrond to the sense of the beautiful and ethical requirements. persist in the assertion that his music is, of itself, rarely beautiful (i. e., With regard to Berlioz, we must steeped in pleasing sound, and captivating by the harmony of the various parts, and thus the logic of their development); it is far oftener unbeautiful and distorted, or poor in musical invention; that the subjects to which this is allied must produce a feeling of repugnance, especially in every man of a well-organized, profound mind, as the impure pictures of a wild and a morbid fancy; and that, when these pictures (as the poet gave them) are not originally open as a whole to this animadversion, Berlioz has elaborated and prepared those portions of them which wild fancy, and to prove his Genialität in Fractur,' as Mendelssohn so struck him as best adapted for being drawn within the sphere of his happily observed, when speaking of him.

"The first movement of the Harold Symphony,' (performed at the Gesellschafts Concert) is, perhaps, the most supportable, although it invention or symphonically-dramatic development. Solos for the viol does not contain the slightest sign of aught like genuine thematic alternate wearisomely with extravagant and orchestral effects, but there is never any serious working-out of musically significant ideas, or a clear poetic picture. Although the explanatory programme, written by P. Cornelius, and distributed among the audience, prates aboutmost vivid impressions,' and although the whole work is intended to transport us to Italian scenes, we confess that we never saw aught to justify this; we feel more inclined to think of surly Laplanders, and the Italians ought to thank Berlioz for the way in which he has represented their country. What a different picture, how Italian, how magnificently coloured, how fresh, is Mendelssohn's symphony in A major! And then, too, this Harold as viola! He is one of the most wearisome fellows it is possible to conceive; neither fish nor flesh, neither warm nor cold, neither merry nor sorrowful, neither in love nor unhappy. planned, but a musical joke completely overrules and spoils the intenThe Pilgrim's March,' given last year, is cleverly tion of the whole. We ask whether any production can be entitled poetically musical,' when, throughout an entire movement, the composer considers nothing of so much importance as the introduction, an eccentric idea, under all circumstances and in all keys, of C which, from constant repetition, becomes silly. The Quasi-Scherzo : Serenade in the Abruzzi' is a joyous composition, and we will not indulge in finding fault with it. That Berlioz should have selected as the foundation of the finale an Orgy of Brigands,' which, in the musical treatment, is a perfect pattern-card of atrocities, is something else for which the Italians ought to thank him.

6

"With regard to the work in its entirety, the first thing to be done is to strike out the title-Symphony.' The Symphony has nothing to do with such a heap of exotic stuff, but works by musical means, folded in the various movements really and truly emanations of the a fact in which its value principally consists. Were the pictures unsoul, seen and suitably decked out with tune, we might overlook the fact of the whole not being a symphony; as it is, however, we have neither the one thing nor the other, and are simply delighted, when the last strains have died away, and we are once more in the open air. We have not the slightest desire to peruse the work of the poet (Byron), which inspired (?) the composer to set about his task. How different is the case with Schumann's Manfred!

"At the last Philharmonic Concert, Berlioz's Symphonie Phantas

tique'An episode out of the Life of an Artist-proved too much even for our very liberal public, and was declined rather plainly. All five movements were given; the last, however, according to the objectionable custom given here, being greatly cut and curtailed. It is true that, by this course, the public enjoyed the benefit of being tormented ten minutes less than they otherwise would have been by music, which may be entitled the exact opposite of all that is holy, noble, and beautiful; but it would have been preferable to go right on, and enable all persons still in doubt to enjoy a radical cure. execution was, in every sense, perfect."

The

The astringent and hyper-æsthetic writer of the foregoing should go to Baden-Baden, and listen to Beatrice et Benedict. There is nothing in what he says but wind. The inner sense reminds one of the old woman squatting on the door-steps of the Venetian people's proverb, "Mia nona in cuzzolon." You can see nothing but the old woman -the vecchia coccoloni-and for the best of reasons, there is nothing else to see; non v'e cosa nulla.

THE BOHEMIAN GIRL.-Mr. Balfe's popular opera is about to be brought out at the Theâtre Lyrique, Paris, under the title of La Bohemienne.

GLUCK UND DIE OPER.

(To the Editor of the MUSICAL WORLD.)

Sir, The thanks of all musical men are due to you, for calling attention to Professor Marx' recent book, bearing the above title. Far too little is at present known in England of Gluck's music. Professor Marx' book is well calculated to give an insight into its beauties, which, when better known, cannot fail to be appreciated. I did not, however, start this note with the idea of writing a treatise on Gluck's music, but merely with the object of calling your attention to a few discrepancies in the list of Gluck's compositions, published in your last number, and that given by Fétis, and others. The following works are mentioned by Fétis, and are not in your list :

1746. Piramo e Tisbe, Pasticcio. London.
1756. L'Innocenza guistificata. Vienna.
1765. Telemacco, Vienna.

1769. Banci e Filemone. Parma.

Under the latter date he gives two distinct works: Paride et Elena and Lefesta d'Apollo, which, in your list, have been classed together under the term "Festive piece."

Fétis, moreover, mentions a psalm, "Domine Dominus Nester; six symphonies, eight songs of Klopstocks, and part of a sacred cantata, entitled "Le Judgment dernier." Much of this is incorrect. In the Leipziger Musik Zeitung for 1809, page 197, a statement is made by Saliere, Gluck's admirer and friend, to the effect that, beyond the "De Profundis," nothing in the church style was ever written by Gluck. He adds, that two only of Klopstock's odes were set to music by Gluck. He may possibly have composed more, but it was purely a mental effort. Unfortunately for posterity, he was in the habit of composing without committing his thoughts to paper. This was the case with Hermannoschlacht, which Richlitz characterises as one of the finest efforts of his genius. He never committed it to paper, and, along with many other noble ideas, it perished with the great man who gave it birth. Brighton.

JOHN TOWERS.

MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLISHERS.

To the Editor of the MUSICAL WORLD.

Sir, The letter of "A Well-wisher" in your last number has, 1 have no doubt, pricked up the ears of many a disappointed composer. I have no shame in confessing that I have many times offered manuscripts to publishers, and have, exactly the same number of times, had them declined. To be sure I have sometimes had the pleasing consolation of being told that my compositions were too good for the public; but being a customer worth having, I have no doubt, the publishers considered that a little soft soap might smooth over my disappointment. A short time ago a friend of mine was highly recommended to the mistress of a school, as professor of the pianoforte, and was requested to call to make arrangements. He called immediately, for he was hard up for pupils, and had a short consultation with the mistress. He was blandly and candidly informed that he was too handsome. No one can blame either the publisher or the schoolmistress for their caution, but it strikes me that we disappointed composers, who are at the same time teachers, have it in our power to double up the publishers if we choose to exert ourselves. Let five hundred of us form ourselves into an exchange club. It can easily be done, and would speedily become a great institution for the suppression of trash. It makes my mouth water to think that should a composition of mine be accepted by the committee of judges belonging to the club, I should for certain get rid of five hundred copies 500 copies--oh, craikey!!!

"A Wellwisher" trusts that he may not have said anything offensive to our eminent professors and composers, for whom he has the greatest respect. I hope he does not think that his previous remarks required an apology. For my part I have no hesitation in asserting, on behalf of the "Musical Exchange Club," that very many of our eminent professors and composers are out and out (double that number three times) muffs!!! I not only say this, but unlike "A Wellwisher," I do not intend to apologise for it.-I remain, Mr. Editor, yours truly,

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RAG. A. Mus.

SIR,-I observe from a recent number, that an inquiry has been made to you about the Drechsler-Hamilton family, as to where they are and who they are. The last interrogatory you have answered correctly It may be interesting for your readers to know that these talented children, after spending the winter with their parents in Edinburgh, left Scotland at the beginning of May last for Germany, to further prosecute their musical studies. About two months ago they all performed at the palace of Prince Wilhelm of Anhalt-Dessau. Among the high personages present where Her Royal Highness the Princess Friedrich Carl of Prussia, the Duchess of Nassau, the Duchess of Altenberg, and the

whole of the Ducal family of Anhalt Dessau, who, although residing at their country palace, came up to Dessau to hear the children. The quartet and solo playing of the young artists met with the most enthusiastic reception, and the assembly overwhelmed them with kindness and praise. The Princess Friedrich Carl of Prussia, and the Countess of Stolzenberg from Vienna (both of whom are well known in Germany as excellent musicians), were pleased to say, that such perfect intonation, tone, and execution, combined with so much expression, grace, and finish, was truly wonderful for performers so young. At the conclusion, each of the children received a handsome present. I am, your constant reader, A. MACDONALD, Edinburgh: August 30, 1862. (for Hamilton & Müller).

POINT D'ARGENT POINT DE PIANO. Dear Mr. Editor,-A concert postponed for want of a pianoforte for appears to read, rather inconsistent, when it was not considered worth such a worthy object as the fund for the restoration of Tenby church, while to sacrifice a single postage stamp to obtain one. You will perceive by an advertisement in a paper which you will receive on Saturday, that Miss Freeth and Thalberg are both announced to play in Swansea this month, and an Erard-Grand could have been obtained for fingers and toes had it been thought worth while to have made an effort to avail themselves of the talents of our respected countryman's services, and the £5 so kindly given by Mr. Richards would have been well invested had it been applied to have secured an instrument suitable for such an important occasion. For my part, I thought that Thalberg's visit to Tenby might have shaken the nerves of Mr. B. Richards, as I had suggested that town as one which might have suited his purpose. However, being a little interested in musical matters in this locality, I have made enquiries, which realises all I now intimate for your musical readers. I remain, dear Editor, ever yours. Swansea, Sept. 4. J. BRADER

THE BRASS BANDS AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.
To the Editor of the MUSICAL WORLD.

SIR,-From a letter received from Mr. Jennison (the indefatigable proprietor of the Belle-vue Gardens, Manchester), this morning, I find I have made a slight mistake in the amount of awards to the successful bands which obtained the second, third, and fourth prizes: the amounts should have been-second prize, 151.; third prize, S.; and fourth prize, 41. 10s. The names of the successful bands I also omitted to insert in my remarks, they are as follows:1st prize No. 2 Band. Black Dike Mills. 2nd No. 4 Band. Dewsbury.

3rd

4th

5th

4th Lancashire Rifle Volunteers, Bacup. Compstall Bridge. By your insertion of this, you will much oblige,

September 19th, 1862.

Yours obediently,

ALFRED PHASEY.

MADEMOISELLE PATTI has been singing with wonderful—that is to say, very natural-success at Manchester and Plymouth, and will appear next week at Brighton. We hear that she was received with far greater enthusiasm at Manchester this year than she was last. It appears that when she visited the cotton metropolis for the first time, the manufacturers had the presumption to give themselves critical airs, and to affect doubts as to whether the darling of our London audiences was quite worthy of their enlightened appro bation! We have long known what to think of the Manchester school of politics, but we were not aware until quite lately that it had a settled code of opinions in connexion with music, the chief of which, of course, is that Manchester people know much more about the art than Englishmen in general. However, their views as to the talent of Mademoiselle Patti are now perfectly orthodox. They could not have applauded her more heartily than they did the week before last if she had been born in Lancashire, and sang with the Lancashire brogue, or burr, or whatever the defect is called-Literary Budget.

MUSICAL FESTIVALS.

(From the Literary Budget.)

The distress in the manufacturing districts, and the great central attraction of the International Exhibition, have combined this year to render the festival season far less interesting than usual. Bradford has not come up to time. Its festival, due this autumn, has not been heard of, and has now lost all claim to the epithet of "triennial." The Gloucester Festival has been held in due course, and we believe has been attended with much success in a pecuniary point of view, through the liberality of local patrons. But it has not drawn so many persons to Gloucester as it generally does from the surrounding districts, and fortunately fewer singers have been engaged than in 1859, when the concert arrangements were made on such a liberal scale that it was impossible not to lose something by them, and quite possible to lose a great deal. This year it has not been thought necessary to retain one set of singers for the oratorio-performances in the cathedral, and another for the evening concerts-in some hall, of which we forget the name. Vocalists of such power and vigour as Mademoiselle Titiens, Mademoiselle Parepa, Madame Laura Baxter, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr. Weiss are quite capable, on an emergency, of singing twice a day, though, of course, the greater the number of celebrated artists engaged, the greater is the attraction offered to the public. In 1859 Madame Clara Novello and Mr. Sims Reeves took the principal parts in the performance of sacred music, while Mademoiselle Titiens and Signor Giuglini were the chief of the concert singers. This year Mademoiselle Titiens and Mr. Sims Reeves have done duty as first soprano and first tenor, both in the concert hall and in the cathedral. The festivals, or rather festival, has given us nothing new this autumn. Indeed, at the "meetings of the three choirs" (ie., of Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford) we scarcely look for any novelty. It is very different at other cathedral towns (such as Norwich for example), and at the festivals of the great manufacturing cities, where many admirable compositions have been produced. Thus Mendelssohn's Elijah, and Mr. Costa's Eli (if the two may be mentioned in the same paragraph) were written especially for the Birmingham festival; while among the works originally brought out at other provincial music-meetings may be cited Dr. Sterndale Bennett's May Queen, Mr. Macfarren's May Day and Lenora, Mr. Benedict's Lurline, and Mr. Howard Glover's Tam o' Shanter.

end.

The argument generally made use of by the opponents of cathedral festivals is that professional singers are employed to take part in them, that they sing for hire, that the public pay to hear them, and that thus a church is converted into a theatre-a place of salvation into a place of perdition. To this it may be replied that the choristers, the organist, and director of the choir are also professional musicians, gaining their livelihood by singing and playing; that if there be no harm in singing, there can be no harm in singing for hire, inasmuch as singers, like other persons, must live; and finally, that to sell the right of entering a cathedral is not a great piece of wickedness when the money so obtained is to be applied to a charitable purpose. There would be something odious, no doubt, in making a cathedral the scene of a speculation, but this is so little the case at the meetings of the three choirs, that all the expenses are guaranteed by the stewards (who before now have been called upon to make good a deficit of £1500.), while all the money collected after the oratorios goes to the fund for the relief of the orphans and widows of the diocesan clergy. As there are no less than one hundred and forty-seven clergymen in the diocese with incomes not amounting to £100 a-year, it will be believed that there are only too many of these widows and orphans in urgent need of assistance.

It appears that the people of Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford, like people elsewhere, are glad, while contributing to the wants of others, to contribute at the same time to their own pleasure. That the number of persons present in the cathedral is regulated to a great extent by the attractiveness of the performances cannot, of course, be doubted, though the price of the tickets has also a great deal to do with it. Hitherto it has been found that they have been too high, and that the congregations have become larger in proportion as the charges for admission have been reduced. Even now the cheapest ticket that can be procured costs three and sixpence, and the consequence is that a great number of places are always vacant which, at a lower scale of prices, would certainly be filled. We confess that we are more interested in considering how the Widows' and Orphans' Fund may be increased than in speculating as to the possible impropriety of presenting in a cathedral, with all due solemnity and with a charitable object, the noblest specimens of devotional music. For our own part, we would not even object to Rossini's Stabat Mater being performed in one of our cathedrals with the original Latin words, though the Record loudly denounced such a performance three years ago in an attack on the Gloucester Festival. To be sure, the Record made a slight mistake, as did also the Saturday Review in replying to it, inasmuch as the Stabat Mater, as given at Gloucester, was sung to the ridiculous English words which some methodistical wiseacre has all the dramatic character of the work, but actually to place the words and music here and there at cross purposes. Papers, however, like the Record really object to singing in churches altogether, for the impromptu, inharmonious howling of a mixed congregation is not singing at all. Persons who do care for church music are aware that to be performed in a becoming manner it must be entrusted to professional singers and players, and, charitable considerations apart, it is a good thing for the professional choristers of Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford to have an opportunity once a year of joining our best instrumentalists and solo singers in executing the religious masterpieces of Handel, Mendelssohn, and Haydn. To a musical mind, the propriety of performing oratorios in churches is sufficiently proved by the fact of their sounding far more impressively there than elsewhere. If Puritanism ever excludes oratorios from our cathedrals, musicians must erect a concert-room in the form of a cathedral for the express purpose of performing oratorios in it.

Nevertheless, it is still maintained in some quarters that a cathedral is not the place for an oratorio; and readers of the Morning Post must often have been amused if not edified by finding in one part of that journal an enthusiastic letter from the musical critic on the performances at Gloucester, Worcester, or Hereford, and in another a thundering leader denouncing the whole proceedings as unbecoming and absolutely irreligious. Indeed, some four or five years since, this double view taken by the Post of the Cathedral Festival question placed the contributor, who (according to our notions) happened to be in the right, in an unpleasant position, and a reverend gentleman who took him to task for the

sins of his antagonistic collaborateur in a somewhat ridiculous one. Many persons of average intelligence still imagine that the editor of a newspaper writes the whole of it, from the leading articles to the police reports.; but at Hereford an ecclesiastical dignitary of high position went further than this, and assumed that the editor of the Post, wrote for and against with the same hand, or, perhaps, that he praised with the right hand and blamed with the left.

The performance of oratorios in places of worship is not objected to on the simple ground that such music in such places is unsuitable, though that is what the objection really amounts to in the

COBERG. According to the second report just issued by the committee of the Swabian Sängerbund, in reference to the measures adopted by them to accomplish the task with which they were charged at there are, at present, forty-six Vocal Associations in various states, Nuremberg, of founding a Universal Vocal Association of Germany, while seven more will shortly be founded. These fifty-three Associations comprise about 1800 smaller associations, or "Vereins," and something like 35,000 members. The meetings of the delegates from the Associations will be held here on the 21st inst.

HERR SGNAZ ASSMAYER.* HERR SGNAZ ASSMAYER, Hofcapellmeister, died on the 31st August. He was born at Salzburg, on the 11th February, 1790. His masters were for singing: the archiepiscopal singer, Ohaddeus Gerl; for piano and organ, as well as thorough bass: firstly, Andreus Brunmayr, a pupil of Albrechtsberger; and, secondly, Michael Haydn. In the year 1808, he was appointed organist to the St. Peter Stift. In 1815, he came to Vienna, where he gave pianoforte lessons, and perfected himself in the theory of counterpoint under Herr Eybler, then Hofcapellmeister. In the year 1825, he became organist to the Imperial chapel, where, on Eybler's decease, he was promoted to the post of Hofcapellmeister. He was also the president, and, for a lengthened period, the condutor of the "Wittwen-und Waisen-Tonkünstler-Gesellschaft." Assmayer may have been a very good man, but his professional career was by no means advantageous to his art, and is intimately connected with the musical degradation of Vienna. Though he might boast of acquired musical knowledge, he was totally deficient in original talent, lively fancy, and artistic feeling. As a composer, he wrote music which was technically correct, but void of mind. As a concert conductor, he was as timid as pedantic; and, lastly, as conductor of the Imperial chapel, his influence was never a fructifying, but, on the contrary, as a rule, a paralysing influence. "A harsh judgment," many will exclaim. It certainly is; but a just one. It may have been right to spare, of late, the old man while he was still alive. Now that he is dead, however, we are bound to speak the truth, not for his sake, but as a contribution to the future unvarnished history of musical matters in Vienna, which will raise the question-"How came mediocrity to honour and power? how was the artistic common weal managed and advanced?"

From the Vienna Recensionen.

MDLLE. TITIENS.-Usually September is not one of our operatic months but this year the International Exhibitiou has changed everything. The English Opera has opened two months before its time, and we understand that the manager of Her Majesty's Theatre is so sorry to have been obliged to close, that he intends to re-open the week after next. It was impossible to continue the performances at Her Majesty's Theatre during the last two weeks, in consequence of the Preston Guild and Gloucester Festival, at both of which celebrations Mademoiselle Titiens was engaged to sing. But now that the great dramatic prima donna is again at liberty, it is said that she will give a series of farewell representations previous to her departure for New York; for we are really going to lose the only Donna Anna, the only Valentina, the only Lucrezia and Norma that our operatic stage possesses. What incalculable number of shin-plasters and postage-stamps can have been offered to Mademoiselle Titiens that she should desert us for the Americans? Or, is Mr. Gye at the bottom of this mystery? It would be sound Machiavellian policy on the part of the Royal Italian impresario to get Mademoiselle Titiens sent as far as possible away from England; for in her particular line of characters he has no vocalist who can be compared to her. Fortunately it is only a ten days' voyage from New York to Liverpool, and we have still hopes (in spite of shin-plasters and of Mr. Gye) that our great tragic singer will return to us in the spring.-Literary Budget.

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SENOR ARCAS.-Senor Arcas, one of the most celebrated guitarists of modern times-called by his countrymen "the Paganini of the Guitar "recently gave a concert at Apsley House. We may have something to say about him in a future number.

a sand

JERSEY (September 15).-An enthusiastic correspondent writes as follows:"I am here, as jolly as that myth we all hear of but never see-“; boy." The weather is splendid. I enclose you a programme of a little affair that took place to-day. It was very interesting, through there being present Captain Herbert, Nelson's Signal Midshipman, who gave out Nelson's famous order-England expects that every man this day will do his duty. The affair I allude to was Dr. Mark's "farewell musical festival," given in the grounds of Government House, under the especial patronage of His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Percy Douglas, Bart., and Lady Douglas. An attractive entertainment was provided, and the professional services, as the programme states, of the "Celebrated Basso and Manager of the English Opera," Mr. Hamilton Braham ("son of England's greatest tenor "), was secured. Mr. Braham gave the following songs of his "illustrious father:""The Bay of Biscay," "Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled," and last, not least, "The death of Nelson." Mr. Braham sang the latter "First Chop," and old Captain Herbert, through the Governor, requested him to sing the last verse over again.. Dr. Mark's pupils as usual pleased greatly by their clever performance, and altogether the concert gave great satisfaction. Mr. Emile Berger, Miss Dwyer, and a host of your London musical celebrities are here enjoying the beautiful climate and the invigorating sea breezes.

MR. FREDERICK PENNA'S ENTERTAINMENT. MR. FREDERIC PENNA's new musical entertainment, "Dibdin and his

Songs," was given before a large audience at the Literary and Scientific Institution, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, on Wednesday evening last. Mr. Penna's qualifications as a lecturer are well known: a fine baritono voice, and an easy and gentlemanly address, go far to attract the attention of the audience. We have already noticed in our columns Mr. Penna's observations on the genius of Dibdin, as well as his characteristic interpretation of the songs introduced in his lecture; we have now, therefore, only to repeat our conviction that we do not know how a more agreeable hour can be spent than after the lecture, a selection of vocal and instrumental music was given. by attending one of Mr. Penna's entertainments. On the present occasion, Madame Penna, who had accompanied her husband in the Dibdin songs, came out admirably as a solo pianist, and played Moschele's "Recollections of Ireland," Osborne's "Evening dew," and a caprice by De Vos. Mr. Penna sang "Shall I wasting in despair," set by Mr. H. Phillips; John Barnett's setting of "The Curfew Bell;" and a ballad composed expressly for Mr. Penna by Mr. Alfred Mellon, entitled "Beloved one, name the day," which is likely, from its intrinsic merit and the excellent singing of Mr. Penna, to become popular. The entertainment gave evident satisfaction to the audience, who testified by frequent applause, and the hearty encôre awarded to Mr. Penna in one of Dibdin's songs, their appreciation of it.

The following remarks, which were made by Mr. Frederic Penna, at the termination of his Musical Entertainment, will not be found out of place in our columns:

The present is the fourth occasion of my being invited to give a Musical Entertainment at this Institution-the oldest of its kind in the country. Bearing this circumstance in mind, I cannot but feel that a great responsibility attaches to me, as indeed it does to all, be they professors or philosophers, who at any time occupy the position which I hold this evening. Although, as the trite saying is, ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,' and members of a Literary Institution require to be amused as well as instructed, I think that even with respect to amusement, did time permit, very much that is à propos might be said. There is amusement of a low order, and amusement of a high order-amusement that can hardly fail to debase, and amusement equally certain to improve and enlighten,-amusement grateful to all tastes, most pleasing, of course, to the most refined, but still enjoyable by all, and amusement-if it be not an abuse of the term to call it so-appreciable only by the most untutored and grovelling. An illustration of each order is ready to hand :-the programme of a Monday Popular Concert' on the one side, and that of many a modern Music Hall' on the other. A few months since, a correspondent of the MUSICAL WORLD' suggested, as an additional feature in these programmes, what he was pleased to call the Boxing Element.' I know not whether that suggestion has been acted upon, but the editor of that journal, I see by last week's number, has completely distanced his facetious correspondent, inasmuch as he has recommended the public execution of criminals, as furnishing alike both amusement and warning. This is indeed carrying out what, in principle, is advocated in a 'Music Hall' song, bearing the rather swinish title of The whole Hog or None. To place an amusement of this latter kind before the members of an Institution such as this- an Institution where men who have filled high and noble positions in the country, and have been of good service to their fellow men, have received a large portion of their education, would be, to say the least of it, a mistake, if it should not be stigmatised by a stronger term. Whatever be the status which music or song occupies in the scale of art and science, I have always considered it incumbent on me to try to elevate its character, to quicken sympathy for that which is good, and, if possible, to increase an appreciation of some of its many beauties. And whether or not I fail in this object, which may be thought to be ambitious, I am still of opinion that, amusement though music be at a scientific institution, its claim to be considered as a science should be ever upheld. And while I do not think the standard of musical taste is anywhere so low as some people would seem to suppose, I hesitate not to say that the aim of the musician or vocalist occupying this platform, if he wishes his name to appear honorable on that mighty roll of great men, who, during the last thirty-eight years, have lectured here on nearly every branch of science and philosophy, should be to raise that standard to the utmost of his ability. The simple fact that your committee have four times invited Madame Penna and myself to furnish a Musical Entertainment, within a comparatively short period, is evidence to me that I have taken a correct view of my position. For this testimony on their part, I have to thank them, as well as your most indefatigable secretary (Mr. Pearsall), whose uniform courtesy demands at my hands a word of acknowledgment, and whose almost unceasing efforts for the benefit of this Institution are, I am persuaded, known to every one of its members. It now only remains for me to thank you, Ladies and Gentlemen, for the favour with which you have at all times received Madame Penna and myself, and to express the pleasure I experience at the responsive echo which these few remarks have occasioned."