A festival of quite a different order has taken place at Covent Garden theatre this week, and has been visited on two successive days by the King and Queen. It consisted of series of three concerts devoted wholly to the works of Dr. Elgar, including, of course, the "Dream of Gerontius," which has spread his fame throughout the work. It is, I believe, the first. time in our history that such an her our has been accorded to a native composer; and it has been haile with satisfaction by. the musical profession in this country not only for the sake of the honour done to ole of their number, but! as an earnest that' ut Jast England has begun to recognise that she has composers of her own. who are quite as worthy of honour as many of the foreigners on whom we have been wont to lavish our tributes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.