These concerts must either have been kept up for years, or new series instituted year by year, since our friend William Black (already quoted) says in his diary of 1744, June 5: “At 8 O’Clock went to hear a Concert of Musick; the Performers was some Town’s Gentlemen, and did Us the Honour of an Invitation, we staid till past 11, and I left the Company to go home to my lodgings.”[114] It is important to observe, that William Black says he had the “Honour” to be invited to a concert. One might say that this word was simply a common expression. It probably was, and still is; but we believe a man would hardly write such an expression in his diary, unless he really thought he was honored. It seems probable that this concert and those of 1740 must have been very exclusive and were not public entertainments, which anyone might attend. There was exhibited this same year (1744) a curiosity, which would attract a large crowd of people. This was no less than: “The Unparallelled Musical Clock, made by that great Master of Machinery, David Lockwood. It excels all others in the Beauty of its Structure and plays the choicest Airs from the most celebrated Operas with the greatest Nicety and Exactness. It performs with beautiful graces, ingeniously and variously intermixed, the French Horn, Pieces, perform’d upon the Organ, German and Common Flute, Flageolet, etc., Sonata’s, Concerto’s, Marches, Minuetts, Jiggs and Scots Airs, composed by Corelli, Alberoni, Mr. Handel and other great and eminent Masters of Musick.”[115] This is the first public record we have, that works of such famous composers were played, and they must have become familiar, in a short time to a great number of inhabitants. It will be remembered that Miss Ball’s capabilities in the province of music were confined to but two branches, voice and spinet. In 1749, however, appears a truly musical genius, if we may judge by the number of instruments which he played. This man was, as we learn from the following: “John Beals, Musick Master from London [who] at his House in Fourth Street, near Chestnut Street, joining to Mr. Linton’s, collar maker, teaches the Violin, Hautboy, German Flute, Common Flute and Dulcimer by Note. “Said Beals will likewise attend young ladies, or others, that may desire it, at their houses. He likewise provides musick for balls or other entertainments.”[116] Here was an opportunity for the inhabitants of the Quaker City to improve their time by learning music, and as the variety of instruments from which they might choose, was large, no doubt some of them became proficient musicians.