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MORNING POST.—November 21st. 
A concert was given on Friday afternoon at St. James’s Hall by the Royal 
Artillery Band. The performance reflected great credit upon the conductor, 
Cavaliere Zavertal ; and the programme was well chosen. 
THE TIMES.—December 3rd. 
The concert given yesterday afternoon in St. James’s Hall by the band of the 
Royal Artillery was as attractive and as largely attended as that lately noticed. 
The opening pieces, Wagner’s vigorous “ Huldigungsmarsch ” and the “ Mid¬ 
summer Night’s Dream ” overture, were in as strong contrast as could be wished, 
and each was played altogether admirably. The delicacy with which Mendelssohn’s 
overture was given was again exhibited in an arrangement by Gevaert of the 
rigaudon from Rameau’s “ Dardanus,” at the end of which a wonderful dimin¬ 
uendo was made in the violins. The symphony by Weber in C major, called 
“ No. 2,” was written, according to Grove’s dictionary, before its companion in 
the same key; both are very early works, and only the ingenious scherzo and the 
very lively finale of the work played yesterday can be considered as worthy 
examples of the master’s work. At the same time the fact that it was brought 
forward at all proves how earnest and artistic are the aims of the excellent con¬ 
ductor, Cavaliere L. Zavertal. A selection from Sullivan’s “ Henry VIII.” 
music was given, including a rather vulgar arrangement of a song with chorus; 
Raff’s tarantella “ Les Pecheuses de P^ocida ” was received with much favour, 
and the overtures to Reinecke’s “ Konig Manfred ” and to “ Tannhauser ” were 
also played as excellently as everything else in the programme. 
THE STANDARD.—December 3rd. 
There was a very large audience at the second concert given this season by the 
Royal Artillery Band, which took place yesterday afternoon, and the programme 
was admirably framed. The most interesting feature was Weber’s “ Second 
Symphony in C,” which is rarely heard. It is a youthful effort, written in 1807, 
when the composer of “ Der Freischiitz.” had scarcely attained his majority. 
According to his most sympathetic biographep, the late Sir Julian Benedict, “ the 
whole composition seems written to order, and various beauties scattered every¬ 
where suffer from interpolations and episodes which have no direct bearing on 
the principal subject, and are but too frequently stiff and awkward.” The 
themes are, however, bright and Hay Inesque, and there is some very pretty 
writing for the wood-wind in the symphony. Four sections of Sir Arthur 
Sullivan’s incidental music to “ Henry VIII.,” were included in the scheme, and 
the whole were rendered with noteworthy care and accuracy under the direction 
of Cavaliere L. Zavertal. 
THE QUEEN.—December 10th. 
The Royal Artillery Band gave its second concert of the season last Friday 
afternoon in St. James’s Hall before a large audience, again providing a varied 
and attractive programme, which included Weber’s rarely heard “ Symphony in 
C major,” the second of the two symphonies written by the illustrious composer, 
each of which is in the same and both of which proceeded from his pen 
about the same period, viz., 1807, that is, just as he was attaining his majority. 
The work, which shows Weber as strongly under the influence of Haydn, is 
scored for a limited orchestra, and is interesting as a comparatively early effort; 
but, although it is certainly not devoid of merit, most people will agree with 
Weber’s pupil and biographer, Sir Julius Benedict, that the symphony was a 
branch of musical art “ that did not belong to Weber’s sphere.” The production 
was very creditably interpreted by the band, which had previously been heard in 
