A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Wednesday Concerts

WEDNESDAY CONCERTS, London. These concerts were established in 1848 at Exeter Hall by Mr. Stammers, in order to give a miscellaneous musical entertainment at a cheap price of admission. The prices charged were about the same as are now paid at the Popular Concerts. The first series, consisting of fifteen concerts, began Nov. 22, were continued once a week until Feb. 28, 1849. The second and third series were continued until June 27, twenty-seven having been given in all. There was a small orchestra under Willy as leader, and the programmes consisted of light overtures, operatic selections, vocal and orchestral, ballads, and light instrumental pieces. Occasionally more important works were tried, such as Mendelssohn's Antigone, Rossini's Stabat Mater, or Mendelssohn's G minor Concerto. A fourth series of fifteen concerts was given, extending from Oct. 24, 1849, to Jan. 30, 1850, and a fifth was attempted, first under Mr. Stammers, and afterwards under Mr. Jarrett, but twelve of the fifteen only were given. The third and fourth series showed some slight improvement in the programmes; the orchestra was increased to forty, Herr Anschütz was conductor, and symphonies of Mozart and Haydn were occasionally given in their entirety. For some reason or other, in spite of the fine artists engaged, these concerts failed then to hit the popular taste. Among the artists who appeared must be named Mesdames Birch, Dolby, Poole, M. and A. Williams, Angri, Jetty Treffz, Rainforth, Mr. and Mrs. Sims Reeves, Braham, Ronconi, Pischek, Formes, etc., vocalists; Miss Kate Loder, Thalberg, Billet, Sainton, Ernst, Vivier, Maycock, Lavigne, Distin and sons, instrumentalists; for the recitation of the Antigone, Mr. and Miss Vandenhoff, George Bennett, etc.

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