On this historic occasion the Beethoven Symphony, No. 1, Weber's overture, "Der Freyschutz," and his concert-st[:u]ck for piano and orchestra, were the principal works given, Hall['e] being the pianist in the last-named. Primitive as this reads to-day, it caused tremors in the minds of the _cognoscenti_, and many were the doubts expressed as to the possibility of success for the undertaking. Nevertheless, Hall['e] proved that his faith was justified, and thus began the concerts that were later to attract the attention of musical Europe, and culminate in their being recognised as one of the most important musical organisations in the world. It will ever redound to the glory of Manchester that it was the birthplace of the awakening of the North of England to its own tremendous potentialities as a crusading force in the cause of music. If we think for one moment of the great, new and original, national school of composers that the North and the Midlands have been mainly instrumental in bringing into existence, we shall be better able to judge and more properly appreciate the work that Sir Charles Hall['e] accomplished. What may be called, I think, the last phase in the struggle of the orchestra to gain its present ascendancy in England was the momentous appearance of Mr. Henry J. Wood[27] on the scene, and the establishing first of his Promenade Concerts in 1895, and then his Symphony Concerts in 1897, at the Queen's Hall in London. Until Sir Henry Wood proved the contrary, the idea of presenting symphonies and other high-class music at a Promenade Concert with a view to attract paying audiences, appeared not only absolutely hopeless, but positively fanatical.