Page:The history of Mendelssohn's oratorio 'Elijah'.djvu/49

 BIRMINGHAM.

��assist you in selecting music, conducting and direct- ing as much as possible. As for selecting, of course I shall be most happy to offer any advice which may be asked ; but do you mean that I should have to conduct all the performances, or the greater part of them? This, I fear, would be a task above my powers ; but before I can say anything more on this subject, pray explain me what your meaning is, and name the period about which I asked you before.

" Since some time I have begun an oratorio,* and hope I shall be able to bring it out for the first time at your Festival ; but it is still a mere beginning, and I cannot yet give you any promise as to my finishing it in time.

" I have written to Mr. Webbt some months ago, to tell him that I had already begun to work on another subject, and that I could not avail myself of his poem for that reason, much as I regretted it. If my oratorio should be ready in time (as I hope it will), there would be no occasion for any other things of mine at the morning performances ; but if I should not be able to finish it, I have several other things of mine which I could propose in its stead, either fo the morning or evening concerts.

" The ' (Edipus ' (which is to be performed next month at Potsdam) will scarcely do for any concert, I am afraid ; but, as I said, I have other things,


 * " Elijah.''

t The Rev. John Webb, M.A. (1776 — 1869^ often referred to as

" the friend of the charity "—i.e., the Birmingham General Hospital.

He submitted to Mendelssohn the text of an oratorio, entitled

"Rachel in Ramah," which is the "poem" referred to in this letter.

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