1821. New England musical matters on record of this year are: An oratorio given by the Psallion Society of Providence, R. I.; A performance of music by the New Hampshire Musical Society at Hanover, N. H.; The existence of a Beethoven Society in Portland, Me. 1823. Production in New York City of "Clari, the Maid of the Mill," ballad opera by Sir Henry Bishop and J. Howard Payne. This opera contains the song, "Home, Sweet Home." Was presented in London on May 23. 1823. May 23. Mozart's opera, "The Marriage of Figaro" (Bishop's English version), presented in New York City at the Park Theatre. 1823. The pianoforte manufacturing house of Jonas Chickering established in Boston. 1823-1849. Sacred Music Society, New York City. 1824. St. Cecilia Society formed in Philadelphia. CHAPTER IV 1825-1850 During these twenty-five years the list of items on record is far greater than during any preceding period of similar time. Possibly this may be accounted for by the greater facilities for travel both by sea and land. Railroads were gradually spreading out through the country, and helping to develop distant trading stations into towns and cities. Steamships were making the voyage from Europe a more feasible adventure. We shall see this as we proceed. In what we may call the domestic side of music we find the establishment of more singing societies in all the eastern cities. There was practically no "west" in 1825, but Chicago shows up in 1834 with "The Old Settlers' Harmonic Society." The story of Chicago's early musical days may be read in Mr. George P. Upton's book of reminiscences. The remarkable part of it seems to be that Chicago grew phenomenally, and today stands as a rival to New York in all matters musical, although in 1825 Chicago was merely a trading post and New York was already a city of some size. The musical convention came into being. The first is said to have been held at Concord, N. H., in September 1829. There is also a claim that the first musical convention was held in Montpelier, Vt., in 1839 but this is not quite correct. It may have been the first convention in Vermont. Musical conventions became popular and frequent and are so even to the present day, though the methods and matter have changed with the times. Another item which may come under the head of domestic music is the beginning of music teaching in the public schools. This was effected by Lowell Mason, as an experiment, in 1838. At the present day chorus singing in the public schools has become an important matter, and is almost universal. In 1838 we find a Philharmonic Society in St. Louis, showing that St. Louis was not far behind Chicago in getting into the musical world.