ALFRED NOYELLO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5686, 3 October 1896, Page 7

ALFRED NOYELLO.

It is doubtful if oratorio would ever have achieved the immense popularity it ! enjoys amongst the English speaking races if it had not been for Alfred Novello, who i died at Genoa L*st -week, aged eighty-sis. A famous basso of his day, Joseph Alfred Novello, was the founder of the celebrated firm Novello, Ewer and Co., pioneers of cheap and good music, and he it was who introduced tbe cheap "octavo editions "of oratorio now to be found in every corner of the earth where two or three music loving Britishers are gathered together. He was likewise the inventor of a system of rollers which he firmly and enthusiastically believed would mitigate, if not absolutely prevent seasickness and render shipwreck an impossibility. His belief in the latter invention, and the keenness displayed in imploring owners to adopt his system, were ludicrous. It was hopelessly impracticable and useless, but this Alfred Novello could never see, and he died in the firm belief that he would be remembered, not by his reforms in music publishing, but as the discoverer of a "sea-sick cure and shipwreck preventative." As a boy of nineteen, however, Alfred Novello started in business as a music publisher at 67, Frith Street, his earliest publication being a couple of volumes of PurcelTs Sacred Music, and his next a series of church pieces and chorus parts of oratorios. His adoption of stereotyping and of Messrs Clowes' system of movable music type printing helped him on, and in 1834 he removed to 69, Dean Street— premises still . occupied by the famous printing offices. In 1836 he started the now defunct Musical World, afterwards for many years edited by J. W. Davison, and in the same year he published the vocal score of Mendelssohn's " St Paul," at the then moderate price of 30s. It is now sold for Is. In 1875 he brought out .the "Surrey Chapel Music" in sixteen numbers, at Is each, and in 1846 he started the Musical Times, the music given away with which furnished the idea of the "octavo edition." The "Messiah" was the. first oratorio issued in this way, in twelve monthly numbers at 6d each, and it was so extraordinarily successful that the " Creation," "Judas Maccabfieus," "Jephtha," "StPaul" and other works immediately followed. In. 1857, the year of the first Handel Festival at the Crystal Palace, the " Messiah" was issued for Is 4d, and it is now Is, while the edition now includes

nearly a hundred oratorios. The impetus given to choir singing- by the publication of this cheap music was enbtmons, and it may perhaps best be judged by a comparison of the present time with 1829, the year that Alfred Novello first started in business, when almost the only important oratorio choir in London was the Cecilian Society at Albion Hall, London Wall, where the "Messiah" was sung from MS. copies mad© by the members themselves, and "the band and chorus will consist of at least one hundred performers." Alfred Novello took a very active part in the agitation against the paper and advertisement duties, but in 1566 he retired in favour of his former clerk and manager, the late Henry Littleton, since whose death, the firm has been carried on by the younger Littletons, Mr ' layton and other partners. Alfred Novello and Henry Littleton personally resembled each other so strongly that they might have passed for brothers. Warwick House Sports.— The annual sports of "Warwick House School will tatoj. p..ice at Lancaster Park on Friday next Entries for the Old Boys' Race will close' on Monday next. Wellington Exhibition.— A sub-com-mittee of the Canterbury Art Society has selected the following eight pictures from the permanent collection at the Art Gallery for inclusion in the loan collection at the Wellington Exhibition — " On the - Teign, North Devon," E. §ouldsmith • "The , Tyrant/* Mrs Seymour Lucas; "Welcome Morsels," L. C. Nightingale; "Storming the Martmiere, Lucknow," Captain E. P Temple; "Making a Chain," late W. k! Sprott; "A Harbour at Low Tide/ A* t' Nowell; "Consent," T. C. Gotch: and "Reverie," G.W.Joy.