23.

1879, Aug. 26 to 20. President, Lord Norton. The fresh compositions
consisted of Herr Max Bruch's "Lay of the Bell," Rossini's "Moses in
Egypt," Saint-Saens' "The Lyre and Harp," and Dr. C.S. Heap's "Overture
in F." First appearances included Madame Gerster, Miss Anna Williams,
Mr. Joseph Maas, and Herr Henschel, Receipts, L11,729; profits, L4,500.

1882, Aug. 29 to Sep. 1. President, Lord Windsor. On this occasion
Madame Roze-Mapleson, Miss Eleanor Farnel, Mr. Horrex, Mr. Campion, and
Mr. Woodhall, first came before a Festival audience. The list of new
works comprised Gounod's "Redemption," Gaul's "Holy City," Gade's
"Psyche," Benedict's "Graziella," Mr. C.H. Parry's "Symphony in G
Major." Brahm's "Triumphed," with a new song and a new march by Gounod.
Receipts, L15,011; profits, L4,704.

1885. Aug.25 to 28.--President: Lord Brooke. The principal performers
were Madame Albani, Mrs. Hutchinson, Miss Anna Williams, Madame Patey,
Madame Trebelli; Messrs. Edward Lloyd, Joseph Maas, Santley, Signor
Foli. Herr Richter was the conductor. Works performed were:--Oratorio,
"Elijah"; new Cantata, "Sleeping Beauty"; new Oratorio, "Mors et Vita";
new cantata, "Yule Tide"; Oratorio, "Messiah"; new Cantata, "The
Spectre's Bride"; new Oratorio, "The Three Holy Children."

~Music Halls.~--Mr. Henry Holder is often said to have been the first
who opened a public room of this kind, but there had been one some years
before at the George and Dragon, corner of Weaman Street, Steelhouse
Lane, which was both popular and respectably conducted.--See "_Concert
Halls_."

~Musical Instruments.~--Our grandfathers and grandmothers were content
with their harps and harpsichords, their big and little fiddles, with
trumpets and drums, horns, oboes, bassoons, and pipes. Clarionets were
not introduced into the Festival bands until 1778; the double-bass
kettle-drums came in 1784; trombones in 1790; flutes, with six or more
keys, were not known until 1802; serpents appeared in 1820; flageolets
in 1823; the ophicleide was brought in 1829, and the monster specimens
in 1834, which year also saw the introduction of the piccolo; the
bombardon not coming until 1843. Pianofortes were first known in England
in 1767, but when first played in Birmingham is uncertain; the first
time the instrument is named in a Festival programme was 1808, but the
loan of a grand by Mr. Tomkinson, a London maker, in 1817, was an event
thought deserving of a special vote of