[Illustration: PLAYING IN PARTS. [_Gillray, 15th May, 1801._] _Morning Herald_, April 2, 1802: “Mrs. Billington will net this single season, by her professional abilities, no less than _eleven thousand pounds_!” Mdlle. Mara, too, whose rich, sweet voice was so often heard in oratorio, got her fifty guineas a night at Drury Lane, in the year 1800, so that we see that in those old days “singing women” were well paid. Mrs. Crouch, that sweet songstress, and rival of the Billington, although she had quitted the stage through an unfortunate accident, which injured her voice, died in this decade, on the 2nd of October, 1805. There were many more of respectable calibre, but none with the exception of Storace, to compare with the three named. Among male voices Incledon, and Braham, were pre-eminent. Incledon had a beautifully rich voice, the successful cultivation of which was doubtless owing to his early training, under the celebrated William Jackson, at Exeter Cathedral. Many of us now living can remember having heard John Braham sing, although, of course, only in his decadence. His was a wonderfully successful musical career, not only here, but on the Continent; but then he had a most rare voice, and one of such extensive range, that he could sing airs written for Mdlle. Mara. No other male singers of this period are worthy of note, nor do we find many good, or lasting, names among the instrumentalists. Wesley on the organ, Clementi and Cramer on the pianoforte, F. Cramer on the violin, about exhaust the list. But the people were musical at heart and there is no greater fallacy than to think the English were ever otherwise. Small and select parties would meet of an evening, and perform concerted chamber music. The illustration by Gillray is slightly caricatured, but it gives a very fair view of such a domestic scene. Or, we might take another drawing-room scene, in which only two are actors, and are executing a duet to a harp accompaniment. That good, and what we term severe, music was then appreciated, we have evidence in the existence of the “Academy of Ancient Music,” which was held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Covent Garden—an institution which began in Queen Anne’s reign, under the conduct of the celebrated musician, Dr. John Christopher Pepsuch; and, till 1737, no ladies were admitted in the audience. In another twenty years it assumed more of the form of a public concert; and, in 1786, the society migrated to Freemason’s Hall, where, in 1788, it was resolved to admit ladies as subscribers. The subscription, which, at its commencement, was only half a guinea, rose, by degrees, to five guineas, and then settled down to four, which covered a season of six, or eight, concerts. [Illustration: HARMONY BEFORE MATRIMONY—1805.]