church half a guinea. The concerts were held at the theatre, which is by far too small a building for the purpose.

The band was, as must be supposed, diminished, but even of the London performers appointed to play, many (from the crowded state of the orchestra) could not assist. The concerts, as far as instrumental music was concerned, might therefore be said to be upon a very small scale, not at all indeed either in consonance with the stated magnitude of the festival or with the price of admission, which was fixed at one guinea to every part of the house-boxes, pit, and gallery.

We are quite aware that where a choice of evils only is presented to the managers of such a meeting, whose first object is the welfare of the charities to which their assistance is so generously accorded, we are quite aware that where such is the case, nothing is left for them but to take the least. Thus where the numbers to be accommodated are so limited by the space in which they must be contained, and where the expences are so large, these can only be defrayed by affixing a very high price to the admission. But it must be obvious that such an arrangement is most injurious to the object, by arraying all below a certain class against the festival, which thus becomes exclusive in a very invidious degree. That diffusion of a common interest and a common feeling, which can alone carry these celebrations to their utmost, is precluded, and what ought to be rendered universal both in the principle and the participation, becomes narrow and partial. The artists themselves are stigmatized as rating their services at such sums as make a resort to inordinate charges indispensable. Even the local cultivation of music is stopped, because amateurs must be exeluded from the grandest occasion for the display of their acquirements. Nor is this the worst of the attendant evils. Committees naturally are solicitous to stand upon something like an equality, and indeed, in the present state of the art, they must put forth pretensions to an equality with the general arrangements both in point of numbers and excellence (for in these cases numbers in a good measure constitute excellence) with other places. Three hundred performers were announced to be the strength of the band. We have great reason to think, and such was the general belief in the town, that the total did not reach any thing like this amount in the choral parts, while at the evening

concerts the band was miserably curtailed. Bad faith was therefore charged against the managers by all, who thought they had reason to complain, and we believe even the principal performers considered themselves not quite fairly used in the tenor of their engagements, which comprehended one more performance than is commonly customary. All these objections will probably be removed by the erection of a suitable suite of concert rooms, to which the example of York gives a powerful incentive. A place so near to the supreme festival of the country as Derby, and so constantly to be brought into comparison with its greatest competitor,* must endeavour to keep alive the local spirit by every sort of stimulus, if it be desired to preserve the interest. It is manifest that Derby possesses its fair share of the patronage of rank and opulence-if then that of the next classes of society can be embraced, the pecuniary object will not only be more completely attained, but there will be a general diffusion of satisfaction and consequently general support. Notwithstanding the donations were greater than heretofore, and the theatre filled, the sum left for the Infirmary was less. This possibly arises from increased expence, but more probably from deficiency of numbers at the morning performances, as the time of day almost imperatively precludes the attendance of those engaged in the pursuits of business.

In closing our account, we can but dwell upon those points we insisted upon in our opening-namely, that the frequency, excellency, and above all, the magnitude of the scale upon which the greatest of these great meetings are conducted, must continue to impose a heavier weight of responsibility upon the individuals who assume the direction, while the extension of these same principles must stretch their faculties to the utmost, and at the same time awaken the liveliest interest in the several districts where the meetings are held. For they are now not only become a prodigious exhibition of the powers of art, but they are looked to for the support they give to charities of the most admirable kind, they are expected for the circulation of money they create, they are

Would it not be better to have the Derby two years after, or one before the York?

tests of the patronage of the rich and great, of the taste of the whole society, and are anticipated by all for the noble species of amusement they afford. The intervals between them are just so long as to allow the memory of the enjoyment to operate as a stimulus; and thus the honour, the character, the prosperity, and the entertainment of the district are connected with these performances. Those who will survey these facts with a steady eye, will not fail to observe how much attention must not only be given at the very time of immediate preparation, but how much of zeal, thought, and knowledge must be employed to diversify and enlarge, as well as merely to keep up the essentials of such meetings. While the formation of choral and other concerts is most likely to extend the love of the art, and thereby to interest a wider circle, novelty must be sought in the materials, and as far as possible in the manner. It seems now little less than certain, that from two to four grand meetings will take place every year in some parts of England. This will keep up so rapid a succession, that it must be evident no continuity of feeling can be sustained unless novelty, variety, and excellence, in a constant progression, be exhibited.

We have kept open our publication to the last, in the hope of knowing the actual receipt and expenditure at York, but the accounts we believe are not yet finally made up. The receipt, however, was above TWENTY THOUSAND POUNDS.

TO THE EDITOR.

ON THE EXPRESSION OF THE WORD LIGHT, IN THE OPENING OF HAYDN's ORATORIO OF THE CREATION.

SIR,

I HAVE frequently heard this objected to, as being a musical pun,

but I think without reason. A pun may be defined as the substitution of one word for another that is similar in sound, without regarding the sense, which is very different from the circumstance here alluded to. In a late publication of musical anecdotes the idea of expressing light by sound is also sneered at, as if "meant to inform the blind what light really is."

It may, to be sure, be allowed that in mere instrumental music there is no real connexion between loud music and light, and soft music and darkness; but here the sentiment is conveyed by the words, to which the music is a mere adjunct or illustration. As therefore a great contrast is expressed in the words, the same seems to become requisite in the accompanying music in order to render it fully expressive. The principal matter to be expressed being thus contrast, such in music may be expressed in different ways, for instance, by quick and slow, or loud and soft music. As however to distinguish quick from slow music there must be a succession of notes, such contrast cannot be produced instantaneously, or in a burst, as from the pianissimo to the fortissimo; this latter method is therefore selected as the best way of effecting the contrast here required: for, as it may be supposed that previous to the burst of light, all was still and dark, so in the musical illustration the same stillness and quietness appears, the only sound proceeding from a few soft, unaccompanied voices, till the tremendous crash of voices and instruments pouring in at all at once. The immediate succession of the forte to the piano, or of the full and complete to the soft vocal chorus, may thus be reckoned to be strictly analogous to the succession of the burst of light to the

command given; in which I must confess I can see nothing ridiculous, or even at all improper.

The same idea occurs in the chorus, " O first created beam,” in Handel's Oratorio of Samson, though it is not expressed in exactly the same manner: as the words "Let there be light," are given forte by the tenor and base voices in unison, which certainly better expresses the word of command; after which the production of the light is expressed by the whole band and chorus, as in Haydn's Creation. The difference in the ideas of the two composers seems to be this-that of Handel, simply to express the production of the light, in obedience to the command, and that of Haydn, its instantaneous production.

SENEX.

SIR,

FROM

TO THE EDITOR.

ROM the obvious interest which you take in every thing relative to the science, I am induced to trouble you on a matter which however trifling in appearance, I should be happy to see amended.

The difficulties of tuition are, under the most judicious conduct, always sufficient to render acquirement slow if not painful, when therefore unnecessary obstructions occur, it is surely well to remove them. Terms in any science are more or less impressive as they convey the figure or image of the thing alluded to, and those to which I now allude had certainly, when first adopted, this merit to its utmost extent.

When Jean de Muris introduced the characters of

E

the titles of longue, bref, semibreve, minime, ronde, blanc, noir, were happily applied, and to the most juvenile capacity carried with them their aspect and purport. In the present usage, in England at least, the distinguishing epithets, to say the least of them, are mere gibberish to the unlearned, while to the better informed, they have the greater fault of conveying a meaning