(From Birmingham)
THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAMPOLICE BAND
Conducted by RICHARD WASSELL

II. 'As a little child.' 'How children seeit.'
By Dr. E. S. WATER-HOUSE

(From Birmingham)
An Appeal on behalf of THE BIRMINGHAM UNION
OF GIRLS' CLUBS by Major WATERS, D.S.O.
Contributions should bo forwarded to [address removed]

WEATHER FORECAST, GENERAL NEWS BULLETIN

(From Birmingham)
THE BIRMINGHAM STUDIO CHORUS and AUGMENTED ORCHESTRA
(Leader, FRANK CANTELL )
STILES ALLEN (Soprano)
ASTRA DESMOND (Contralto)
ERIC GREENE (Tenor) HOWARD FRY (Bass)
I
'HEAR MY PRAYER'
(Mendelssohn)
(For Soprano Voice, Chorus and Orchestra)
II
'RHAPSODY'
(Brahms)
(For Contralto Voice, Male Chorus and Orchestra)
THIS Rhapsody is founded on a poom of Goethe's, descriptive of a. journey to the Harz mountains. The object of the trip was to visit a young author with whom Goethe had been in correspondence, and the poem recalls some of their conversations.
In the first two portions of the poem which
Brahms has chosen for this Rhapsody, loneliness is the keynote, the sad state of those who live apart from comradeship, taking no share in mankind's tasks. The last part of the work is in happier spirit, finding consolation in a divine thought finely expressed; it concludes with a prayer to the ' Father of Love ' to open the selfish eyes of the lonely one to all the beauty about him.
III
Excerpts from
'THE HOLY CITY'
(Gaul)
(Composed for the Birmingham Triennial Festival of 1882) ALTHOUGH he was a native of Norwich and spent his early years in its cathedral, first as a chorister and afterwards as assistant-organist, Alfred Gaul spent a great part of his life in Birmingham and died therein 1913. He hold in succession several organist's posts there, and was besides conductor of Walsall Philharmonic Society and a Professor in the Midland Institute. More than one of his choral works, moreover, made its first appearanco at Birmingham, and The Holy City, the most popular of all his oratorios, was sung for the first time at the Birmingham Festival of 1882. Simple and melodious, if not very profound, his sacred music is all of the popular order which makes a ready appeal. Many of his psalms, chants, hymns, etc., are still in fairly regular use, and ho composed besides a number of part songs, and some pianoforte pieces. '