During the Revolutionary War it has been stated, that concert music was at a premium. However in the fall of 1783 was founded by John Bentley, the City Concert, “which was an important step in the musical life of Philadelphia.” These concerts were to be given every two weeks. As no programs have been preserved, we are unable to determine just what music was used. As Sonneck says: “It goes without saying that John Bentley engaged the best musicians to be had in the city and that he performed music in keeping with the refined taste of such men as Francis Hopkinson and Thomas Jefferson.”[187] These concerts were evidently kept up until the season of 1785-6. In 1786 a musician arrived in Philadelphia, who was of great importance to the musical life of that time. This was Alexander Reinagle one of the ablest musicians in America in that century. He was born in 1765 at Portsmouth, England, of Austrian parents.[188] He seems to have inherited, as did his brothers Joseph and Hugh, a love of music from his father, who was a skilful musician. Alexander studied music in Scotland with Raynor Taylor, who later became one of the leading musicians in Philadelphia. The material concerning Reinagle before his arrival in America is scanty, but the few data there are show that he was known to the musical world of that time. In a memorandum book[189] of his, preserved in the Library of Congress, is an account of a trip which he took to Lisbon 1784-5 in company with his brother Hugh, an eminent ’cellist,[190] who was sick with consumption. They arrived in Lisbon the twenty-third of October, and Reinagle tells of their lodgings there, expenses, etc. Of special interest is an item for January, 1785: “Had a Concert in the Assembly Room 8th Jany.--Performed to the Queen and R. family Sunday 16th July. Rec’d. a present from her Majesty of 50 Moids.” After burying his brother Hugh, who died the nineteenth of March, 1785, he “embarked from Lisbon Sat. 23d April sail’d 24th & arrived in Portsmouth Tuesday 17th May. Made in Lisbon: By Concert £100 By Queen 67 Two P. Fortes 30 Four Ditto (?) 35 Teaching 3 12 Fund (?) 31 10 -- -- 267 2 Expences At Murrays £7 Medicines 23 Diet from 15 Mar. to 23d April at Mrs. Morleys 51 In all Diet £58 Medicines 23 -- 81