Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/123

 THE REVISED ORATORIO.

��him with a silver snuff-box,* were very Jin Jcioiis'tc^ be'^ the first to perform the revised oratorio. Within a month of the Birmingham performance, the Secretary addressed to Mendelssohn a long letter, in which (i) the Society congratulated the composer upon the success of his new work, (2) asked that they might have the honour of giving the first performance of the revised version before a London audience, and (3) that, if possible, Mendelssohn should himself con- duct the said performance. Here is Mendelssohn's reply :—

To T. Brewer, Esq., Hon. Sec. to the Sacred Harmonic Society, Exeter Hall, London.

[Written in English.]


 * ' Leipzig, October 7, 1846.

" Dear Sir, — I beg to express my best thanks for the letter dated September 24, and it gives me much pleasure that the Sacred Harmonic Society will undertake the first performance of my 'Elijah' before a London Audience. I beg to thank the Committee most sincerely for their flattering inten- tion, and of course should be most happy to conduct

following inscription : —
 * This silver snuff-box, which cost nine guineas, bore upon it the

" Presented to

Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy,

by the

Sacred Harmonic Society, London,

on the occasion of

his attendance at their performance of his oratorio

' St. Paul,'

at Exeter Hall, on the 12th day of September, 1837."

( loi )

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