d and harmony always abound,
And division here only in music be found.
May the catch and the glass go about and about,
And another succeed to the bottle that's out."

This society was appropriately known as the Musical and Amicable Society
from which sprung the Choral Society in 1776, though the present
Festival Choral Society only claims to be in its thirty eighth year. The
Birmingham Musical Society dates from 1840; the Amateur Harmonic
Association from January, 1856; the Edgbaston Musical Union from 1874;
and the Philharmonic Union from 1870. The Church Schools Choral Union,
the Sunday Schools Union Festival Choir, and the Birmingham Musical
Association, with one or two others, are the progeny of later years; the
last on the list of musical institutions being the Clef Club (in
Exchange Buildings), established March 21st, 1832, for the promotion of
musical culture by "providing a central resort for the study and
practice of vocal and instrumental music, with the social advantages of
a club."

~Musical Festivals.~--The credit of suggesting the first Musical
Festival in aid of the funds of the General Hospital, has been assigned
to Mr. Kempson a local musician, who, with his friends, formed a Glee
and Catch Club at Cooke's, in the Cherry Orchard. The minutes-book of
the Hospital under date of May 3, 1768, records that a resolution was
passed that "a musical entertainment" should be arranged, and it was
held accordingly on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of September in that year,
part of the performances taking place at St. Philip's Church, and part
at the Theatre, then in King Street, the Festival being wound up with a
ball "at Mrs. Sawyer's, in the Square." Church, Theatre, and Ball was
the order of the day for many succeeding Festivals, the Town Hall, which
may be said to have been built almost purposely for these performances,
not being ready until 1834. The Theatre was only utilised for one
evening each Festival after until 1843, when three concerts were held
therein, but since that date the Town Hall has been found sufficient.
The Festival Balls were long a great attraction (no less than 1,700
attending in 1834), but, possibly from a too free admixture of the
general public, the aristocratic patronage thereof gradually declined
until 1858, when only 300 tickets having been taken, the Ball night was
struck out of the future programmes. The first Festival performances
were by purely local artistes, and on several oc