A Tale of One City: The New Birmingham by Thomas Anderton
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Thomas Anderton >> A Tale of One City: The New Birmingham
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With Richter's appearance as conductor, some important changes and
reforms were effected in the orchestral arrangements of the Festival.
For one thing, the band was cut down in number. This, it was said, was
in consequence of Richter's opinion that the balance of power was
disturbed by too great a preponderance of string tone, but it is just
possible that economy was considered when the change was made. Anyway,
in 1885 there were over twenty stringed instruments less than in
Costa's last year, 1882.
This alteration was a notable one, and regrettable in some ways. The
extra large string band that Costa would have made the Birmingham
Festival orchestra something very special, and the result was some
striking effects not heard elsewhere. Nowhere now do we hear that _tour
de force_ which was almost electrical in the rush of violins at the end
of the chorus "Thanks be to God" in the "Elijah," in Beethoven's
"Leonora" overture, and in the last movement of the overture to "William
Tell." The effect of the violins--between fifty and sixty in number--was
something magical in the works just named. To put the matter in brief
detail, under Costa's conductorship the string band numbered 108
players, when Richter took the orchestra in hand, it was reduced to
eighty-six. I will not discuss the expediency of the change. Suffice it
to say that the Festival band is now as good, perhaps better, than it
ever was, save in the matter of numbers.
To sum up very briefly the Festivals since 1885--the year that Richter
succeeded Costa--the meeting of 1888 was remarkable for nothing that
made any permanent notch in the record of the Festivals. Parry's
oratorio "Judith" was the chief novelty, but, in spite of its masterly
merit as a work of musical art, it was hardly received with the favour
it deserved.
The Festival of 1891 saw the production of two important new works,
namely, Stanford's dramatic oratorio "Eden" and Dvorak's "Requiem Mass."
With respect to these compositions, they have scarcely been heard, I
think, since their initial performances. Stanford's "Eden" contains some
fine writing, but there was, perhaps, too much of it. Dvorak's "Requiem"
was something of a disappointment, and its first rendering anything but
satisfactory; indeed, some of the numbers, I remember, narrowly escaped
coming to utter grief.
In 1894 three new productions were heard. These were Parry's "King
Saul"--a very recondite, musicianly composition--but too long; "The
Swan and the Skylark," a fanciful little cantata by Goring Thomas; and a
"Stabat Mater" by G. Henschel.
Nothing at the Festival of 1897 made any mark. There was a new "Requiem"
by Stanford, but like many other Requiems, it rather celebrated its own
death. A new work by Arthur Somervell was heard, and, though favourably
received at first, like some other Festival compositions it seems now to
have vanished into the _ewigkeit_.
With regard to the Festival of 1900--just closed as these lines are
being written--I will say little. It has been financially successful,
and perhaps that is the best that can be said of it. The programme,
speaking generally, was a somewhat heavy and dull one, and the special
new work, namely, Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius," was disappointing, in
spite of its skilful construction, its splendid orchestration, and its
conspicuous touches of character and originality. Mr. Coleridge Taylor's
"Song of Hiawatha" was the hit of the Festival, and its performance at
Birmingham has hall--marked the young composer's fresh, picturesque, and
melodic music.
I might write a great deal more about the Birmingham Musical Festivals,
but time and space forbid. I could, for instance, point out that it is
becoming more and more difficult to maintain the prestige of our
Festivals as time goes on. There is more competition now-a-days; there
are more provincial musical gatherings; and there are now more
high-class concerts than formerly. I think I could also show that some
mistakes, of more or less importance, have been made, and are still
perhaps being made in the management, Nevertheless, those who have most
to do with the arrangements are not lacking in energy and enterprise,
and in earnest endeavour to uphold the character and reputation of the
Birmingham Musical Festivals.
XVII.
CONCLUSION.
There is now little or nothing further for me to say, save to put a tag
to my small story, and make my little bow to my readers. Birmingham,
like other modern enterprising centres, goes moving on "down the ringing
grooves of change." The city means to forge ahead, and will not permit
anything to impede its progress. Scaffolding seems more conspicuous than
ever, and before the ink is dry upon my page, more old buildings will be
down and more new buildings will be up. Since I began these chapters
(which have appeared in _The Midland Counties Herald_ during the past
months) some important, notable changes have taken place. For instance,
the Birmingham Old Library in Union Street, associated with the names of
many Birmingham worthies, has disappeared, and its site is occupied by
the new City Arcades. That conspicuous landmark, Christ Church, with all
its memories and curious belongings and characteristics, is now no
longer to be seen. Old narrow streets are being widened, old buildings
are bulging out, and large new buildings are being erected in all
directions. The municipality have taken in hand some important housing
schemes which may be advantageous to the working classes, and result in
the erection of some of those new artisans' dwellings which, so far,
have not been conspicuously numerous. In the meantime local debts go on
merrily, or I should say seriously, swelling. Ratepayers have to be
squeezed to find the necessary funds for the increasing outgoings; but
best-governed cities in the world must pay a price for their advantages
and pre-eminence, and the citizens thank the gods that they have men who
will devote thought and energy to laying out public money, and fervently
hope that this may be done wisely and well.
Some of our public men who are so ardent in forwarding new schemes and
improvements can, of course, say that if these developments mean higher
rates and growing assessments, they themselves have to bear their share
of the burdens. This, of course, is so, but it must be owned that when
we have a hand in spending large sums of money with the influence and
importance that accompany the process, we pay our quota of the
financial imposts if not cheerfully, at least without the grudging
feeling of those who merely have to pay, pay, pay.
Gentle, and I trust forbearing, reader I have written my story, and have
added to my iniquity by publishing it in book form, but I indulge a
small hope that it may possibly interest a limited number of those who,
like myself, have watched with their own eyes the rapid growth and
almost amazing development of Birmingham during the last forty or fifty
years. Writing almost entirely from my own observation and memory, I may
have made some slips and mistakes, but I have tried to be careful and
accurate, and have endeavoured to verify my facts and figures from
authentic sources when possible. I therefore venture to hope that my
errors are not very many, and not of any serious moment.
Writers, we know, are often prone to say that if their readers
experience as much pleasure in reading their pages as the writers have
had in writing them, the said readers will be rewarded for their time
and pains. I am not going to repeat this pretty formula, I am rather
inclined to say that if my readers experience my feeling that I have
said enough, they will not be sorry to see these last words of my final
page.
INDEX.
Artisans' Dwellings Act 3, 21
Aston Hull 5, 113
Assize Courts 120
Atkins, James 198
Attwood, Thomas 1
Barnett, J.F. 210
Big Ben of Westminster 177
Birmingham and Midland Institute 186
"B'ham Belgravia" 95
Birmingham Bishopric Scheme 75
_Birmingham Daily Gazette_ 126
_Birmingham Daily Mail_ 128
_Birmingham Morning News_ 126
_Birmingham Daily Post_ 125
_Birmingham Daily Press_ 123
Birmingham Old Library 223
Birmingham Workhouse 110
Board Schools 93
Bright, John 12, 52, 192
Brougham, Lord 188
Cambridge StreetWorks Schools 198
Chamberlain, Arthur 71
Chamberlain, Austen 65
Chamberlain, Herbert 72
Chamberlain, John Henry 49, 95
Chamberlain, Joseph 11, 32, 33
Chamberlain, Richard 70
Chamberlain, Walter 72
Christ Church, Birmingham 110
Church of the Messiah 76
Collings, Jesse 79
Costa, Sir Michael 212
Costa's "Eli" 206
Dvorak's "Requiem" 219
Edgbaston 90
Eld and Chamberlain 95
Elkington and Co. 145
Gas and Water Purchase 16
Gas Profits 57
Gillott's Factory 147
Giuglini 208
Glass Making 160
Goring Thomas 220
Gothic Houses 96
Great Tom of Lincoln 177
Great Western Railway Station 4
Handsworth 117
Harcourt, Sir William 47
Hector, Edmund 110
"Highbury" 64
Hobday, L.N. 182
Holtes 113
Improvement Scheme 20
Jaffray, Sir John 195
Jewellery Trade 151
Johnson, Dr. 110
Keep Bros. 202
Kenrick, W. 73
Kingsley, Rev. Chas. 190
King Street Theatre 109
Kossuth 186
Lablache 207
Lady Huntingdon's Chapel 108
Ladywood Lane 199
London and North-Western
Railway Station 3
Mario, Signor 206-7
Martin & Chamberlain 93
Modern Shopkeeping 29
Moilett and Gem 202
Moseley 115
Municipal Debt 14
Municipal Reforms 8
Muntz, G.F. 1
Nettlefold & Chamberlain 66
New Meeting House 75, 77
Old Birmingham Men 104
Old Square 110
Palmerston, Lord 52
Pearsall, Wm. 174
Pemberton and Sons 202
People's Park 187
Prince Consort 186
Prosperous Manufacturers 99
Pudding Brook 113
_Punch_ 52
Queen's Visit to Birmingham
in 1858 187
Rabone Bros. 202
Radicals and Royalty 61
Reeves, Sims 206
Richter, Dr. 217
Rigby, Vernon 214
Russell, Lord John 189
St. Martin's Bells 170
St. Martin's Church,
Birmingham 177
Sandwell Park 118
Sanitary Improvements 15
Schnadhorst, F. 83
Sheffield 54
Smallwood and Sons 166
Steel Toy Trade 162
Stockley, W.C. 214
Sturge, Joseph 193
Sullivan, Sir Arthur 209
Taylor, S. Coleridge 220
Tea Drinking 170
Thackeray 190
"The Dream of Gerontius" 220
"The Elijah" 205
Timmins and Sons 162
Titieus, Mdlle. 213
Town Hall 109
Trebelli, Madame 213
Unearned Increment 97
Unitarians 74, 75
_Vanity Fair_ 51
"Vaughton's Hole" 113
Walker's (T.F.) Ship Logs 159
Welsh Water Scheme 58
Williams, Powell 81
Winfield and Co., R.W. 196
Winfield, John Fawkener 198
Wynn and Co. 162
"Yule Tide" 214
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