MUSIC.
THE " LONDON " SYMPHONY AT MARGATE.
TfrE country that produces musical festivals at places like Margate can scarcely be accused of neglecting music, especially if the music be of as high a standard as that performed at the Winter Garden Pavilion, Margate, on the night of Wednesday, Peptember 27th. This was the most important day of the festival, if one may judge by the fact that a greater amount of excellent music was given on that night than upon any other of the series. The programme included Dr. Vaughan Williams' "London" Symphony, Cesar Franck's Symphonic Variations, Rimsky-Korsakov's Rapsodie Espagnole, a group of piano pieces, and an uninteresting concert overture by Mr. }famish MacCunn.
The orchestra, under the discreet direction of Dr. Vaughan Williams, deserves praise. It cannot be blamed for being less successful in bearing the whole burden of the "London" Symphony than an orchestra of full dimensions. It was not its fault if the string tremolos were thin, the long held notes lacking in volume and smoothness, the balance often imperfect. But it seemed a pity that the roof of the stage should have been so low over the tympani and brass. The former, in particular, were overpowering and lacked sufficient nuances. The crescendo, too, was rather strained, and the climax, when it came, had nothing whatever behind it to bear the brunt. All this, how- ever, was the fault of the smallness of the orchestra and not of the performers, who were uniformly excellent, and if the question be asked : Is it not a pity to perform big works demanding large orchestras on small ones ? the answer is : No. For it is better to perform a great work fairly well than a mediocre work quite well. It gives more pleasure in the end and contributes to the downfall of dull music. E. S.-W.
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