by Sir GEORGE HENSCHEL
SINCE Sir George Henschel made his home with us in 1884, he has been a leading figure in the British world of music. It was he who established the London Symphony Concerts which for eleven years did much to introduce to London audiences new works, both British and foreign, which might otherwise not have had a hearing. Ho revived also much forgotten music, and in 1891 organised a choir to take part in the large choral works. For some years he conducted the Scottish Orchestra in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and in 1805 brought the orchestra to Windsor to give a command concert before the Court. One contemporary notice referred to ' Sir George Henschel and his band of wild Highlanders,' the writer apparently being unaware that the orchestra was largely recruited from Germany. But heavy as is the debt we owe him in these ways, it is by his singing, to his own accompaniment, particularly of Schubert's songs, that he keeps a place of his very own in our affections. There, his art is of that quality which can make one forget that it is art at all; even now, with his eightieth year in view, Sir George is a very prince of singers, to whose wonderful gifts mere words can never hope to do anything like justice.