An evening with M. Guilmant," might serve as an appropriate heading for a notice of the organ recital on Wednesday night. Bet us hope it is the first of a series. We can picture very agreeable evenings with Smart, Lemmens, Batiste, Wely, and Merkel, to say nothing of the older and greater composers, or the noble army of younger writers whose powers are beginning to be recognised, As we mentioned a day or two ago connection with the programme of the recital, M. Guilmant is a noted French composer and organist. Tt would be dif cult to decide whether he is greater as a writer or asa performer. Those who have heard him say that his skill at the instrument is little short of marvellous, and that his powers in improvisation especially, are astonishing. That his music contain rear and varied charms must be acknowledged by all who heard the performance wednesday The first part consisted of four pieces in the old style, commencing wit! offertoire on the old plain song, **O Filii et Fille," the opening movement being suggested by the air to follow, the whole movement with the plain song following being varied in the most charming and skilful manner. It may not be out of place to mention here that M. Guilmant is not one of the class of writers in the French School whose com-jons treed but little independent pedal ction. He revels in the freedom which such separate movement grants to the organist, and, in his hands the pedal stave is filled with its full share both of harmony and melody.
Of the three other pieces in the first part, the Madrigal was probably most appreciated by the audience, though the Grand Chorus in the Gregorian tonality must have delighted lovers of the old style.
Between the two parts Mr. Wedemeyer sang o beautiful Recitative and Air from Barnby's Sucred Cantata " Rebekah," in his usual finished manner.
'The modern portion opened with four movements for the soft stops, all of which were extremely well adapted' for showing off the really'charming combination of which the Cathedral organ is capable in the hands of a skilled performer The Manger—A Pastoral and Adoration—we remember to have heard played by Mr. Fentum years ago, but its merits are such that it will bear repetition again and again, After this number, Mr. Wedemeyer sang The King of love, my Shepherd is, to Gounod's setting, with much expression, though apparently a slight cold prevented him from making quite as much a success of that as of his first solo, as would otherwise have been the.
'A march in D major which works up to magnificent climax closed the programme, the whole performance lasting about an hour and a half.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.