The Festival of 1860 was under very distinguished patronage and eminently successful. The programme included Haydn’s “Creation,” Handel’s “Messiah,” Dr. Spohr’s “Last Judgment,” Herr Molique’s “Abraham,” and Handel’s “Dettingen Te Deum,” all sacred music of the highest class, assigned to the morning performances. The evening concerts comprised Glück’s “Armida,” Professor Sterndale Bennett’s Pastoral, “The May Queen,” Benedict’s Cantata, “Undine,” besides selections from the most popular operas, part songs, madrigals, symphonies, and overtures, all of which were admirably rendered and highly applauded. The choice of so large a work as Hadyn’s “Creation,” one of the finest of his productions, on the first evening, was considered desirable, as it gave full employment at once for the principal vocalists, the chorus, and the band. As many persons could not attend in the morning, an oratorio in the evening gave them an opportunity of hearing a great work well performed, and the lovers of sacred music readily seized the opportunity presented to them of attending the performance, which was never more perfect. No band could have possibly played it more exquisitely, no chorus could have sung it more honestly or earnestly, and the solos were beyond all praise. Wednesday morning was assigned to performances of a sacred and very solemn character; Handel’s “Dettingen Te Deum,” and Spohr’s “Last Judgment.” Handel composed five Te Deums, but the finest is that written in 1743, in celebration of the victory at Dettingen, then thought a great event. The victory was rather unexpected, and as George II. commanded in person, the rejoicings in England were very general. Horace Walpole wrote, “We are all mad; drums, trumpets, bumpers, bonfires! The mob are wild, and cry ‘Long live King George and the Duke of Cumberland!’” After the “Te Deum,” there was a short interval preceding the performance of Dr. Spohr’s great work “Die Letzten Dinge” (The Last Things), the earliest of the composer’s three oratorios. In 1825 it was brought over from Germany by Professor Taylor, and it was first performed before an English audience at the Norwich Festival on September 24th, 1830, under the title of “The Last Judgment,” which does not convey a very correct idea of the work. It was received with the greatest possible favour, like all other works of the same master, in this city. The grand theme is set forth in a series of paraphrases of scripture texts referring to the final consummation of all things.