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Collection Description
Collection name
Birmingham Music Festival for the benefit of the General Hospital (1790)
Unique identifier
L55.3
Description
Two programmes from the Birmingham Musical Festival (later Birmingham Triennial Music Festival) of 1790, both signed by Hannah Vincent.
26/08/1790. ‘Fourth performance on Thursday evening, August 26, 1790 at the Theatre’
Grand miscellaneous concert, including works by Handel, Webbe, Aetius, Locke, Fischer, Andreozzi, Boyce, and Handel. Performers include Mr Reinhold, Miss Mahon, Madame Mara, Miss Abrams, Mr Norris, Mr Champnes.
27/08/1790. ‘To be performed in St. Philip’s Church on Friday, August 27, 1790’
Music by Handel. Performers include Mr Reinhold, Miss Mahon, Madame Mara, Mr. Norris, Miss Abrams, Mr Knyvett, Mr Mathews.
Birmingham Central Library’s collection of Triennial Music Festival material includes the surviving records of the Triennial Music Festival, including programmes, news cuttings, accounts, tickets and histories. The collection also includes the records of the Birmingham Festival Choral Society, the autograph album of Richard Peyton, (for many years the chairman of the Festival committee).
There are also scores of many of the works first performed in Birmingham, proof Novello scores of Elgar's 'The Kingdom' and 'The Apostles' and sundry photos etc. and other letters from Bruch, Mendelssohn, etc.
In addition, the collection of correspondence includes letters from Elgar concerning The Dream of Gerontius, Apostles, Kingdom etc, others by Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn, Gounod, Stanford, and Bruch, as well as those of performers taking part in the Festival.
In 1992 Birmingham purchased at auction the autograph manuscript of Mendelssohn's Elijah as used in the first performance.
The Birmingham Triennial Musical Festivals began in the late C18th as a means to raise money to support the services of the Birmingham General Hospital. By the middle of the C19th they had become one of the most important international festivals of the day. Birmingham Town Hall was opened in 1834 specifically as the main venue for the Festivals. A contributory factor to the Festivals' development was the Festival committee’s policy of commissioning many famous composers to write works which were performed by the foremost artists of the day.
Date range
1790 - 1790
Associated People and Organisations
Birmingham Musical Festival -
Vincent, Hannah -
Associated Places
Associated Times
18th century - late 1776-1799
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Birmingham Libraries: Local Studies and History
Central Library, Chamberlain Square Birmingham West Midlands B3 3HQ United Kingdom Open Map
DOMUS
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http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/libraries
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Information, books, and some printed music relating to music in Birmingham
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