Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/546

 122 ABT, DRAMA AND MUSIC. [1899.

treme. The works produced at the Queen's Hall on the occasion referred to were " The Transfiguration of Christ," " The Raising of Lazarus," and "The Resurrection of Christ"; and in the following October, at the Norwich Festival, the "Passion Music" (according to St. Mark) was performed. The general opinion held with regard to these works was that they were dull and monotonous, the music being weak and im- mature, giving no indication of genius nor even of remarkable talent.

Mr. Newman at his May Festival (between the 8th and 17th) gave no fewer than fourteen important concerts ; two orchestras were engaged — that of thje Queen's Hall, under the direction of Mr. Henry J. Wood, and the famous Paris Orchestra directed by M. Lamoureux. The Perosi and other choral works were rendered by the Queen's Hall Choral Society, conducted by Mr. George Riseley. Among the eminent soloists who took part were Lady Hal 16, Paderewski, Ysaye and Pachmann.

Although not the year for Birmingham or Leeds, several important provincial festivals were held. At Worcester in September the 176th meeting of the three choirs of Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester, was remarkable for the first performance in this country of the Amer- ican, Professor Horatio W. Parker's oratorio "Hora Novissima." The composer conducted his own work, which, although somewhat in- efficiently rendered, was received with great favour. Another novelty was a "Solemn Prelude," for full orchestra (op. 40), composed by S. Coleridge-Taylor, who conducted its performance. In Spohr's "Last Judgment," Mr. Edward Lloyd, the popular tenor, made his last appear- ance at a Three Choirs' Festival.

At the Norwich Festival, under Signor Randegger's skilful direction (Oct. 3 to 6), in addition to the production of Pero*.i's " Passion Music," already referred to, two novelties by English composers were per- formed. These were an orchestral mite, "The Seasons," by Edward German ; and a cycle of songs, entitled " Sea Pictures " (op. 37>, by- Edward Elgar, which received a fine interpretation by Miss Clara Butt.

The Sheffield Festival (Oct. 11 to 13) was on a larger scale than in 1896. Only well-known works were performed, but the chorus, trained by Dr. Henry Coward, showed remarkable power and ability, and their singing was the feature of the festival. Mr. August Manns, as before, was the conductor, taking with him his Crystal Palace Orchestra, which, however, was quite overpowered by the vigorous Sheffield chorus. With such excellent material at hand the Festival Committee would be justified in engaging a larger orchestra at their 1902 festival, and in commissioning two or three native composers to write new works for that occasion. No novelties were produced at the First Scarborough Festival (Oct. 18 and 19) when Mr. F. H. Cowen made his first appearance as a festival conductor. The very successful production of S. Coleridge-Taylor's " The Death of Minnehaha " was the chief feature of the North Staffordshire Festival held at Hanley (Oct. 25). Festivals were also held at Bridlington in April, at Lincoln in June and at Hovingham in July.

The musical competitions which, frequently under the name of festivals, continued to flourish in all parts of the country were evidence of satisfactory progress in the nation's musical education ; and in this