The refusal of the Shanghai Choral Society to be abashed by the financial lack of success of their highly artistic performance of Bach's "Mass Minor," as indicated by their announced intention. of presenting Handel's "Israel in Egypt" at the Lyceum Theatre on February' 13, ample proof of the society's virility It is to be hoped that the new venture will show. better ancial returns than did the earller attempt to cater to the music lovers of Shanghai, The reasons for that failure are not even ow easy to appreciate, for those who have anything to do with public tertainment "in Shanghai" will appreciate that there are all manner of imponderable and unanticipated factors which may make a venture a success at one time and condemn its organizers to disappointment the next. The oratorio which has been chosen this season is a remarkably beautiful one, affording ample scope for soloists, chorus and orchestra. full advantage of which will doubtless be taken under the skilled guidance of Mr. A. V, Avshalomoff. Recent experiences in the Lyceum Theatre have proved that the building is ad~ mirably adapted from an acoustical point of view to the production of works of this nature, while the moderate size of the auditorium thas the psychologically good effect upon the performers of making even comparatively small house look more attractive from the point of view of attendance. Added to this the fact that in the new location the expenses of production should be correspond~ ingly smaller, there 1s every reason to" hope that the confidence with which the Society "has embarked Uupon' this new venture will be rewarded by the good results of which search.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.