'The seventh subscription concert of the Shanghai Choral Society on Thursday night (16th) attracted to the Lyceum Theatre a satisfactorily large audience, thus showing that good music can still' command an appreciative body of listeners in Shanghai. The Society which Mr. Crompton so enthusiastically conducts has obviously reached a very successful stage in its career, which though comparatively brief has been noticeably one of steady progress. The pro-mme consisted of the sacred cantata The foly City, originally composed for the Bir-bingham Musical Festival of 1882 by Mr. Alfred R. Gaul, a local musician of nome note, It is nota striking composition on the whole, but in the concerted parts the com-joser has met with not a little success.
however, as was agreed by competent critics when it first came before the public, the solo pieces show a want of individuality. This failing makes itself manifest over and over again, and handicaps the soloists in attaining the musical level of the choruses in a decidedly disappointing way. That the Indies and gentlemen upon whom fell the difficult duties of singing the solos succeeded so well in pleasing the audience is therefore all the more creditable to them. "They were Mrs. Valentine, Mrs. Moutrie, Mrs, Stanley, Mrs. Hayward, Mr. Clapp, and Mr. J. C. Johnston. There were no encores, and indeed comparatively little applause until the conclusion, the audience doubtless being disinclined to interrupt the full effect of the deeply religious words, which with the exception of two hymns, n verse from Milton, and three verses from the Te Deum are entirely Scriptural. The choruses were uncommonly well given, time, attack, and the balance of voices being excellent, and upon having achieved such high results in this respect Mr. Crompton is to be warmly foa effect upon the voices of some of the raised. No doubt the keen weather had
soloists, but the difficult and often'unsympathetic music was artistically given, although there were, of course, some minor faults to be detected. Mr. Crompton had also the assistance of a small but capable orchestra, which added materially to the success of the performance.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.