~Musical Festivals.~--The credit of suggesting the first Musical Festival in aid of the funds of the General Hospital, has been assigned to Mr. Kempson a local musician, who, with his friends, formed a Glee and Catch Club at Cooke's, in the Cherry Orchard. The minutes-book of the Hospital under date of May 3, 1768, records that a resolution was passed that "a musical entertainment" should be arranged, and it was held accordingly on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of September in that year, part of the performances taking place at St. Philip's Church, and part at the Theatre, then in King Street, the Festival being wound up with a ball "at Mrs. Sawyer's, in the Square." Church, Theatre, and Ball was the order of the day for many succeeding Festivals, the Town Hall, which may be said to have been built almost purposely for these performances, not being ready until 1834. The Theatre was only utilised for one evening each Festival after until 1843, when three concerts were held therein, but since that date the Town Hall has been found sufficient. The Festival Balls were long a great attraction (no less than 1,700 attending in 1834), but, possibly from a too free admixture of the general public, the aristocratic patronage thereof gradually declined until 1858, when only 300 tickets having been taken, the Ball night was struck out of the future programmes. The first Festival performances were by purely local artistes, and on several occasions afterwards they formed the bulk of the performers, but as the fame of our Festivals increased so did the inflow of the foreign element, until at one period not more than half-a-dozen local names could be found in any programme. This has been altered to a considerable extent of late years, so much so that at the last Festival nearly the whole of the chorus of voices was composed of members of our local Musical Societies, and a fair sprinkling of the instrumentalists also. A big book would be required for a full history of the Birmingham Triennial Festivals, descriptive of their rise and progress, the hundreds of musical novelties introduced, the many scores of talented artistes who have taken parts, the lords and ladies who have attended, and the thousand odd notes appertaining to them all. In the following notes are briefly chronicled the "first appearances," &c., with the results and other items for reference. 1768, Sept. 7 to 9. The oratorios of "Il Penseroso;" and "Alexander's Feast" were performed at the Theatre in King Street; Handel's "Te Deum" and "Jubilate" with the "Messiah," at St. Philip's Church. The principal singers were Mrs. Pinto, first soprano, and Mr. Charles Norris, tenor; the orchestra numbered about 70, the conductor being Mr. Capel Bond of Coventry, with Mr. Pinto as leader of the band. The tickets of admission were 5s. each, the receipts (with donations) amounting to about £800, and the profits to £299.