George Alexander Macfarren (1813-1887) was one of the most distinguished and scholarly English musicians of the nineteenth century. He was a prolific composer in many fields and in none was he more successful than in choral-writing. His operas, oratorios, and cantatas are numerous, and in the last-named group his important works are ‘Leonora,’ composed in 1851; ‘May-Day,’ written for the Bradford Festival, 1856; ‘Christmas,’ written in 1859 and first performed at a concert of the Musical Society of London on May 9, 1860; ‘The Lady of the Lake,’ founded on Scott’s poem and produced at the Glasgow Musical Festival, November 15, 1876; ‘Songs in a Cornfield,’ written in 1868 for female voices to words by Christina Rossetti; and ‘Outward Bound’ (1877). John Oxenford, a popular librettist of the period, furnished the texts for ‘Christmas,’ ‘May-Day,’ and ‘Outward Bound.’ ‘May-Day,’ for soprano solo, chorus, and orchestra, is a brief cantata full of the jollity of this old-time festival, with its ancient ceremony of choosing the May-Queen and the accompanying rustic revels. It contains many examples of the quaint style of part-writing prevalent in the preceding century, among them the delightful part-song ‘The Hunt’s up.’[70] ‘The Lady of the Lake’ is a work of large dimensions demanding five solo voices--Ellen, the Lady of the Lake (soprano), Blanche of Devan (contralto), James FitzJames, the Knight of Snowdoun (tenor), Roderick Dhu (baritone), and James, Earl of Douglas (bass). The most interesting music in this cantata is assigned to the chorus, and here the composer demonstrates his fine ability in effective part-writing, at the same time introducing many touches borrowed from the idiom of Scottish folk-melodies. Henry Smart (1813-1879) was one of the earliest of the modern English composers to come under the influence of the romantic movement. He is most widely known for his part-songs, organ music, and anthems and other Anglican ritual-music, but his best work is the cantata ‘The Bride of Dunkerron.’ He produced several other cantatas of less merit--‘King René’s Daughter’ (1871) and ‘The Fishermaidens,’ both for female voices, and the sacred cantata ‘Jacob,’ written for the Glasgow Festival and performed there November 10th, 1873.