The new _prima donna_ has everything in her favour, and very soon she was in favour with the audience, but not in such high favour as was the tenor with the artistic name, who, fairly taking the audience by assault, constituted himself, _pro tem._, the man in possession of the ear of the House. He is a success; as a young master bearing the name of so distinguished an Old Master should be. [_Query_, would it be rude to say to a really good Van Dyck, "You go and be hung!" Perhaps the learned Editor of _Musical Notes and Queries_ will reply. Of course much depends on the frame.] As for the new soprano SIBYL--more power to her organ! Her acting was good, but not great, and what ought to be her song _par excellence_ went for nothing, or, at least, it could have been bought very cheap. There is far more dialogue in _Manon_ than a Covent Garden audience is accustomed to, and this superfluity is resented by those who come for the singing, and who, if any talking is to be done, like to do it themselves. The three young ladies who go about together as a perpetual trio, suggest the notion of a light and airy version, feminine gender, of the three Anabaptists in the _Prophète_. M. ISNARDON as _Des Grieux, père_, a character that might be operatically nearly related to _Germont, père_, in _La Traviata_, was impressively dramatic, but decidedly disappointing in his one great song, which ought to be a certain _encore_. It may be true that an opera intended for a small stage does not stand a fair chance of success on a large one, and _vice versâ_, as no doubt the LORD MAYOR's coach provided by DRURIOLANUS SHERIFFUS for the occasion would look absurd on the stage of the Opéra Comique, while here when it comes round to the gate to fetch _Des Grieux_, it creates as great a sensation as ever it would do in the Strand on the Ninth of November, even with the Sheriff inside it. [Illustration: Rehearsing for an amateur performance of the Christy Minstrels, under the direction of Count Four-in-a-bar. "Now then, Gentlemen, all together!"]