311.11 g it.
There are few concerts in London during the Christmas holidays; it being usual for our principal performers to spend this period in profes- sional visits to the provinces. The chief entertainment of this kind, an- netiraced during the past week, the Wednesday Evening Concert, did not take place, in consequence of the inclemency of the weather and the pasaa-ble state of the streets. . ORti4ttypsit British Musicians, however, had, its regular chamber concert, atrtbeereortis in Berrier'S Street, on -Monday evening; and it Was exceedinglyiwellatteraded. This crinciety has existed nearly twenty yeitrs. It dcesfnattiutsitsrel@prominently forward or wimpy a large share of rib- lie attention ; nevertheless, it is a sriefel-society; and productive of con- siderable advantageeto-its members. It set out with very ambitioua views, attnmptiog to ;give public -Concerts on an extremely exclusive ciph neither ither foreign compositiaas nor foreign performers. The-iniPolieY flue eon* was strongly pointed out at the time, but without- effect'l. The Society persisted for several seasons, so um; suceetsfully,- that"..at length, we believe; it suspended its proceedings altogether..' 'Aftellards, however, it altered its' coarse, adopted the plan of chamber cionoerts, and departed from its exclusive system;' but still continuing to .make the cultivation of British Music a prin- cipal if not • the,ole object. The Society is a numerous most of the eminent Eraglish musicians of the day being among its members. As May be supposed, its active proceedings are carried on chiefly by the younger merabiln Ake ,profeesion. The programmes of the concerti now cons,* of _chamber pieces of the great classical Innsters intermixed with original compositions by members of the Society; so that our young aspirtintite fame possess the means of having their essays, by a careful and zealous performance, submitted to the ordeal Of an intelli- gent and critical audiende. At the concert of Monday evening, for ex- ample, several new productions, both vocal and instrumental, were brought forward, whieh evinced much talent-even genius, and excited a warm interest. Among them, the most remarkable was a quartet for the piano- forte, violin, viola, and violoncello, by Mr. C. E. Stephens, a young mu- sician, who has pursued his studies in Germany with great assiduity and success. It is a work of extraordinary merit, written in a bold and vigor- ous style, and showing a great command of artistic resources, but betraying the usual faults of the young artist,-unpruned exuberance of ideas, over- elaboration, and a lack of the repose and simplicity which are the consum- mation of art. Among the vocal pieces there was a part-song for four voices by Mr. G. Lake, entitled "Dream the dream that's sweetest " ; a very pure and beautiful piece of English vocal harmony, which was en- cored with warm demonstrations of pleasure. There was also an adinir- able quartet, a " Benediqtrisnbyl Mr.-,,Epv%11/ t ips : but this young
lutist had already won ha sOirk ici tliblield of b. o rsition. The concert lwas,m1togethsr; gratifying and satisfactory, as showing both activity and ;progress among our younger members of the musical profession.
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