Event Comment: Towards raising a Sum of Money for building a Wing to the Middlesex Hospital. Pit and Boxes at Half a Guinea. Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. To begin at 6:30 p.m. After the Opera will be an Assembly, with Coffee, Tea, Orgeat, and Lemonade. At Mr Almack's Great Room in King St., St James, to which every Gentleman or Lady who shall produce a Ticket that will be annexed to the Box Tickets for the Opera, will be admitted without any additional Expense. Box Tickets for this Night will admit only one Person into any part of the House, as the Tickets for the Assembly are annexed thereto. Mr Almack's room will be opened at Nine o'clock, and Ladies are desired to order their Chairs to wait in King Street, and the Coaches in St James's Square

Event Comment: New Comedy Never Perform'd. [Attributed to Mrs Griffith. For Contemporary account see Gentleman's Magazine, January 1766, p 19.

Event Comment: [D$DuBellamy, as would appear from a letter to the Printer of the Public Advertiser, 20 Sept. "Being at the Opera House last week to see the Conscious Lovers and As You Like It, not to mention the various and allowed excellencies of each performer, I was most agreeably surprized at the songs, in the bills said to be sung by a Gentleman, which indeed his genteel figure and polite address, at first sight well authenticated; but for the songs, viz. If Love's a Sweet Passion,--Blow, Blow Thou Winter's Wind,--with some others I must confess I never heard the like; his voice was finely masculine, strong, sweet, clear and articulate; his manner not servilely confined to the pedantic stiffness of some, or the affectation of others; in a word he sung like a Gentleman; and the sound, as Milton elegantly expresses it, 'Floated the Wings of silence.' This is not intended (by doing justice to Mr D. B@@y) to depreciate any....I am told he has applied to Mr Beard, with what success I know not, [hopes he will be one of the new singers at Covent Garden] signed T. S."]

Event Comment: Return'd by two persons who came in the 4th inst. with an Order wrote by Mr Sarjant for Mr Barber, and went out and took the money for it at the Pitt door-6s. (Account Book). Receipts: #188 6s. 6d. (Account Book)

Event Comment: PPublic Advertiser, 5 Sept. 1769: Mr Crawford and Co. beg Leave to acquaint the Nobility and Gentry, with the following List of their new Singers, and others engaged for the serious and comic Operas next Season. Those marked thus& are new Performers, viz. Principal Singers for the Serious Operas: &Signior Guadini, first Man. &Signora Cecilia Grassi, first Woman. For comic or serious: Signor Lovattini, first Man. &Sig Zamperini, &Signora Guadini, first Women. &Signor Piatti, 2nd Man serious. &Signor Bianchi, Tenor, Signora Zamperini, Sig Morighi, Signora Piatti. Composer: Sig Guiglielmi. Principal Dancers: Mr Slingsby, &Signor Galiotti, &Signor Siminon, &Signora Guidi, Signora Radicatti, &Signora Gardel. Ballet Master: &Sig Campioni. [See 7 Nov.

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Performed as an Oratorio, though only a Serenata. Words by Gay...set to music by Mr Handel for that princely nobleman the Duke of Chandos...This being too short for a whole evening's entertainment, Mr Dryden's celebrated Ode, also set by Handel, was performed after the Serenata. End of Part I Concerto on French Horn, by Ponta. End of Part II, Solo on Violincello-Janson (Theatrical Review, 18 March). Ross and Mossop engag'd for Haymarket for tragedy, also Bannister; Aickin, Baddeley, Parsons, Dibdin, Mrs Baddeley, Evans, Miss Miller, Miss Ambrose &c. (Winston MS 10). [For Summer season?]

Event Comment: Music composed by Mr Arnold...a very noble Piece of Composition; the airs are pleasing, and the chorusses majestically grand; upon the whole this is the most capital Performance in the Oratorio style Mr Arnold has produced (Theatrical Review, p. 218). Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: An Oratorio With Alterations composed by Mr Arnold. A very Pleasing Oratorio, though there is a great sameness in the songs, but the chorusses are masterly and grand. It has undergone some alterations, greatly for the better since it was first brought out. Music by Mr Arnold (Theatrical Review, p. 219).Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Never performed in this Kingdom. In the manner of an Oratorio. This is a species of entertainment borrowed from our volatile neighbors on the continent, and never performed in England before; that is not directly in this manner. [But see 4 May 1759.] The performance was divided into three parts: the First consisted of Mr Addison's celebrated Hymn, set to music by Mr Handel, which is a masterly performance; the second contained Miserere mei Dei, &c., the music compsoed by Sig Pergolesi; this is a noble performance; the third part consisted of a very fine anthem, by Sig Nigri of Milan, a work of great merit. A concerto on the French Horn (as 6 March) and a concerto on the Violin (as 11 March) (Theatrical Review, p. 220). Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mrs Booth has lately erected a Monument to B. Booth, is now upwards of 90, was the famous Miss Santlowe so much admir'd as Actress and Dancer (Winston MS 10). Advanc'd Mr Barry (b:office keeper) #15; Ditto to Mr Watson (b:office keeper) #10 (Treasurer's Book). [Operating cash returned to treasury on 5 June 1773, but with a deficit of #6 5s. Barry seems not to have been hired thereafter, Archeveque taking his place the following season.] Receipts: #173 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: Parsons of dl and Mr Buckley of cg purchas'd Bristol Theatre formerly the property of Mr Bransby (Winston MS 10). Receipts: #199 17s. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. Tickets to be had and places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Fosbrooke at the Stage Door of the Theatre, at Half a guinea each. Pit 5s. First Gallery 3s. 6d. Second Gallery 2s. Doors to be opened at Half past Five. To begin at Half past Six. N.B. Those ladies who have had boxes for the Oratorios and who intend continuing them are humbly requested to give notice to Mr Fosbrooke at the Stage Door. Rec'd Stoppages #1 1s. (Treasurer's Book). [The Westminster Magazine, Feb., p. 75, contained an article on the "Origin of Oratorios," followed by one on the Musical Powers of Handel, particularly relating to his Oratorios. The Morning Chronicle for 24 Feb. commented as follows on Miss Linley's performance in Acis and Galatea: "Miss Linley...gave every delight that the ear, the heart, or understanding could receive from Music...Miss Linley's manner of delivering Recitative is peculiarly distinct and sensible; a circumstance of infinite importance in a performance of this nature. Her voice is clear and melodious, and capable of truest expression as was peculiarly evident in the song of 'Must I my Acis still bemoan?'...Their Majesties' presence and apparent satisfaction lead us to hope that the Royal countenance and encouragement will never again be withdrawn to grace the innovations of foreigners on the only musical ground which is left for English genius to take root and flourish"( (Quoted in Hampden, Journal).]