November 7, 1786. Mr. Charles C. Perkins, historian of
the Handel and Haydn Society, whose foundation was coincident with the
sixth society in Germany (Bremen, 1815), enumerates the following
predecessors of that venerable organization: the Stoughton Musical
Society, 1786; Independent Musical Society, "established at Boston in
the same year, which gave a concert at King's Chapel in 1788, and took
part there in commemorating the death of Washington (December 14,
1799) on his first succeeding birthday;" the Franklin, 1804; the
Salem, 1806; Massachusetts Musical, 1807; Lock Hospital, 1812, and the
Norfolk Musical, the date of whose foundation is not given by Mr.
Perkins.

[Sidenote: _Choirs in the West._]

When the Bremen Singakademie was organized there were already choirs
in the United States as far west as Cincinnati. In that city they were
merely church choirs at first, but within a few years they had
combined into a large body and were giving concerts at which some of
the choruses of Handel and Haydn were sung. That their performances,
as well as those of the New England societies, were cruder than those
of their European rivals may well be believed, but with this I have
nothing to do. I am simply seeking to establish the priority of the
United States in amateur choral culture. The number of American cities
in which oratorios are performed annually is now about fifty.

[Sidenote: _The size of choirs._]

[Sidenote: _Large numbers not essential._]

[Sidenote: _How "divisions" used to be sung._]

In size mixed choirs ordinarily range from forty voices to five
hundred. It were well if it were understood by choristers as well as
the public that numbers merely are not a sign of merit in a singing
society. So the concert-room be not too large, a choir of sixty
well-trained voices is large enough to perform almost everything in
choral literature with good effect, and the majority of the best
compositions will sound better under such circumstances than in large
rooms with large choirs. Especially is this true of the music of the
Middle Ages, written for voices without instrumental accompaniment, of
which I shall have something to say when the discussion reaches choral
programmes. There is music, it is true, like much of Handel's, the
impressiveness of which is greatly enhanced by masses, but it is not
extensive enough to justify the sacrifice of correctness and finish in
the performance to mere volume. The use of large