Christmas Eve was passed with the Fabers, Brahms being, as ever, the most cordial, happy, childlike guest. He continued, during the first years of his subsequent residence in Vienna, to spend the festival with these friends, who took pains to invite his favourite companions to meet him. Nottebohm was always of the party. Amongst his presents one Christmas for the gift-making ceremony at home in Hamburg, was a sewing-machine for his sister, who had expressed a wish for such a possession as a help in her employment. After the lapse of a few seasons, however, Brahms for a great many years habitually declined all invitations for Christmas Eve, only breaking his rule by occasionally spending it with Frau Schumann. Within the last decade of his life he again changed his custom, and passed the evening regularly in the happy home circle of some friends to whom the reader will be introduced in a later chapter. The second and third concerts of the Singakademie took place on January 6 and March 20, with the subjoined programmes: PROGRAMME OF JANUARY 6. 1. Mendelssohn: Eight-part Motet. 2. Joh. Eccard (1553-1611): 'The Christian's Easter Day Song of Triumph' (double chorus). 3. Heinrich Schütz (1583-1672): 'Saul's Conversion' (triple chorus). 4. Giov. Gabrielli (1557-1613): 'Benedictus' (double chorus). 5. Giov. Rovetta (1643-1668): 'Salve Regina.' 6. Beethoven: 'Elegischer Gesang' (chorus with string accompaniment). 7. Three German Folk-songs. 8. J. S. Bach: Motet, 'Liebster Gott wann werd' ich sterben.' PROGRAMME OF MARCH 20. J. S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio. (First performance in Vienna.) With the assistance of the Imperial and Royal Court-Opera Orchestra. They do not seem to have been so successful as the first. The public found the programme of January 6 monotonous. Hirsch, in his notice of the concert in the _Wiener Zeitung_, goes so far as to speak of 'shipwreck,' while Hanslick himself owns that the performance of the earlier numbers had the 'character of an improvisation or a practice rather than a concert production.' The three German folk-songs (the two last harmonized by Brahms) were so warmly received that the conductor's Minnelied, 'Der Holdseliger' was given in addition. The success of the Bach cantata was injured by a contretemps. The Börsendorfer piano, sent in the absence of an organ, was too high in pitch and therefore unavailable.