Event Comment: We hear, that the company of Dutch/Children that are to perform to Tuesday next at the new theatre in the Haymarket, joyn'd with English, German, and Italian amount to above 25, and most of them excel either in Vocal or Instrumental Musick, Dancing Exercises, and playing of Pantomimes

Event Comment: A few days since died at Bristol, Mr Burk Thumoth, well known for his excellent manner of performing on the German Flute

Event Comment: To the author of the General Advertiser, from White's Coffee House, St James's, 1 Feb., SIR: On the 6th of December last I was seiz'd with a fever, which in 24 hours was so violent that I became extremely delerious, insomuch that I obstinately refused all manner of medicines. This continued till about December the 16th, when all my friends thought me near expiring, and the more because I was then in the 80th year of my age. At this time my relations gave me a dose of Dr James's Fever Powder in some Tamarinds, unknown to me, which, as it had no taste, I did not discover. This gave me one stool, and the next morning I was much better. From that Time my Relations gave me the same medicine, without my knowledge, in small beer, Tea, and every thing I took. This was attended with so good an Effect, that in three days the Fever, with all its symptoms, entirely left me, insomuch that I am now perfectly recover'd. This I esteem my duty to the Publick to communicate for the general advantage of Mankind, I am, Sir, your humble servant, Colley Cibber. This day is publish'd, By Authority, the Comic Tunes in the Entertainment of Queen Mab, as they are performed at Drury Lane, for the Violin, German Flute, or Harpsichord, Price 1s. 6d. Printed for J. Oswald at his music shop in St Martin's Churchyard, in the Strand

Event Comment: t the Temple of Taste this evening the entertainment consisted of 1), an overture from Samson, 2), a Poetica address to the audience, 3), a concert on the harpsichord by a young Lady eight years old, 4), a Dissertation on Dress, 5), a Hautboy concerto, 6), an Essay toward a new-invented Astronomy, adapted to the Ladies, 7), a solo on the German Flute, and a general debate on the following propositions: Is Affectation more prevalent in Man than Woman?" 'Is not a good-natured illiterate man more beneficial to society than an illnatured philosopher" (General Advertiser).

Event Comment: By Particular Desire of several Ladies of Quality. Positively the last Night. [Intended as satire on the Reverend John Henley's Oratory (eccentric preacher, 1692-1756) and as a puff for The Midwife or Old Woman's Magazine, edited by Christopher Smart and John Newberry, 1751-53. The Old Woman's Oratory written and produced by Smart. See the Gentleman's Magazine, 1752, p. 43; and Horace Walpole's letter to Montagu 12 May 1752, as follows: It appeared the lowest buffoonery in the world, even to me who am used to my uncle Horace. There is a bad oration to ridicule, what is too like, Orator Henley; all the rest is perverted music. There is a man who plays so nimbly on the kettle drums, that he has reduced that noisy instrument to be an object of sight; for if you don't see the tricks with his hands, it is no better than ordinary. Another play on a violin and trumpet together; another mimics a bagpipe with a German flute, and makes it full if disagreeable. There is an admired dulcimer, a favourite saltbox and a really curious Jew's Harp. Two or three men intend to persuade you that they play on a broomstick, which is drolly brought in, carefully shrouded in a case, so as to be mistaken for a bassoon or bass viol, but they succeed in nothing but the action. The last fellow imitates farting and curtseying to a French horn. There are twenty medley overtures, and a man who speaks a prologue and epilogue, in which he counterfeits all the actors and singers upon earth' (The Yale Edition of Horace Walpole's Correspondence, IX, p. 131). [See 3 Dec. 1751.

Event Comment: During the short time of the Fair, at Bence's Booth, Bowling Green, Southwark. Boxes 2s. Pit 1s. Gallery 6d. To begin at Twelve and end at Ten at night. [N.B. at a Booth next to Yeates's ran Parsloe's Grand Medley, including The Town Miss; or, The Miser Outwitted,' by operational moving figures (puppets) followed by dancing, jiggs, disjointments, concluding with a piece of German Clockwork, for the diversion of the Curious.

Event Comment: [For the King (Cross). With New Music, Scenes, Machines, Habits, and other Decorations. Compos'd by Mr Noverre. All our Dancers appear. A good deal of hissing & Clapping & some Cries of No french Dancers; a great clapping too-the Dance is fine-(Mr Delaistre is a good Dancer) (Cross). [See for details of preparation, importation of dancers, especially of M Delaistre, The Chevalier Noverre, Father of Modern Ballet, Deryck Lynham (London, 1950), pp. 26-40. See also advertisement in Public Advertiser: 'Mr Noverre, whose entertainments of Dancing have been celebrated in almost all the courts of Europe, exhibits this evening his Chinese Festival at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane, in pursuance of a contract made above a year ago with the managers of the said theatre: The Insinuation that at this time, an extraordinary number of French dancers are engaged, is groundless, there being at Drury Lane at present as few of that nation, as any other theatre now has, or perhaps ever had. Mr Noverre and his brothers are Swiss, of a protestant family in the Canton of Berne, his wife and her sisters Germans; there are above sixty performers concerned in the entertainment; more than forty of which are English, assisted only be a few French (five men and four women) to complete the Ballet as usual. As the intention of the Managers on this occasion is to give Variety to Entertainments of the town, it is not doubted it will meet with public approbation.'] Receipts: #210 (Cross)

Event Comment: MMr Barbaut's Second Subscription Oratorio, taken from the First Book of Milton's Paradise Regained and set to music by Mr Charles Barbant in two parts with a solo upon the Violin by Signor Marella; a solo upon the German Flute by Mr Tacet; a Concerto on the Lute by Mr Servi?; a Hautboy concert by Mr Barbant; and an organ concerto ditto; and a Great Concerto with Clarinets, French Horns and Kettle-Drums, composed by Mr Barbant. Boxes and Pit put together at Half a Guinea each, Gallery 3s. Tickets to be had at Mr Barbant's, at Mr White's in Marshall St., Carnaby-Market; and at Mr Browne's Stationer [sic], facing the Opera House, Haymarket. To begin at half an Hour after six. N.B. the Books of the Oratorios stitched in Blue Paper at 1s. each are sold at Mrs Browne's [sic] in the Haymarket, and at the House on the night of the performance

Event Comment: To begin each day at twelve noon and end at ten at night during the short time of St Bartholomew Fair at Yates' (from Drury Lane) Great Concert Hall in the Greyhound Inn, Smithfield. There is a commodious way to the Hall opposite the Sheep-Penn. The diverting entertainment contains the distresses of a young lady that was stolen by a French pirate; the gallantry of an English Captain who rescued her; their unfortunate shipwreck, and their being thrown upon a desolate island; their sufferings through famine; the unexpected relief they met with on a part of the island; governed only by women; their being afterwards seized as pirates; the punishment inflicted on them by the Female Goverment; and their amazing delivering by the Queen's finding her husband and her only son, whom she had lost and thought dead upwards of twenty years. Interspersed with the comical and diverting adventures of Lt Fireball, a true English Tar, Noddy a distressed Beau, Snivel Thimble, a tailor; Splitfarthing an Old Userer; and Glisterspite a Finical Surgeon. In which will be introduced a Dialogue between Mynheer Vanflawkin, a Dutchman, and Mynheer-the German

Event Comment: Half past 5 went to the 5s. Gallery at the Opera House to see the comic opera La Buona Figliola, altered from Goldoni. The Music by Sg Nic Piccini, a Neopolitan composer. The Marq by Sg Lovatini, Castina by Sga Zamporini, the German by Sg Marigi. These I believe are reckoned the best of the company. I can't say I was greatly entertained, tho the music is very pleasing. There is something very absurd and truly characteristic of the present age in supporting a set of people at an immense expense to perform plays in a language which very few here understand. We had dances after every act by Sg Adriani, Sga Radicati, &c. It is said the dances at the opera are better than those at the theatres, but I am no great judge either of music or dancing. The scenes, particularly that of the Garden with waterworks &c. are very fine. They who go into the Pit &c. must be in a vile French dress (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: marly Vocals in Concert as 16 Aug. and Mrs Barthelemon will sing a new Rondeau. The words by Lady Dorothea DuBois, set by Barthelemon, who will accompany the song upon the German Pedal Harp

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 2 years. [See 21 May 1773.] Introductory Interlude played 9th time By Particular Desire. Paid Bassoons & German Flutes in Xmas Tale 2 nights this and last season #3 10s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book). Receipts: #174 13s. 6d. (Treasurer's Book)

Event Comment: [Identical program except a Solo on the Pedal Harp in place of Concerto on German Flute. Mr Jones was the harpist.] This program By Particular Desire

Event Comment: By Particular Desire. A dispute...between a German Baron and a French Gentleman would have terminated in a duel, but that an Englishman of rank sent an account of the matter to Bow Street, on which the parties were desired to attend when it appeared that the Baron had insulted the Gentleman at the Opera, insisted on his fighting immediately in the street or the next morning at Hyde Park with pistols. [The Baron was charged with the responsibility of keeping the peace (Public Advertiser)]

Event Comment: A new Comic Opera [1st time; COM 2, librettist unknown]; the Music composed by Storace. "Signor Storace does not appear to have studied that art [of music] much in Italy; for he has entirely deviated from the usual plan of Italian authors...The overture anneunces entirely a French author, and the finales are in the German style of Gluck, loaded with harsh, terrifying music of trumpeting and drumming" (Public Advertiser, 6 Mar.). Receipts: !162 [non-subscription]

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The German Hotel, advertised on playbill of 20 Dec.] Receipts: #225 11s. (211.8; 14.3)

Event Comment: [Mainpiece in place of The German Hotel, advertised on playbill of 31 Dec. 1790.] Receipts: #179 17s. (171.16; 8.1)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: 32nd Night [i.e. in continuation, erroneously, of the reckoning for the preceding season, when it was acted 28 times]. With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Music (with a few Exceptions) composed entirely new by Shield. And new Scenery designed and chiefly executed by Richards. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "Covent-garden is the National Theatre. I was there on 10th Dec. and saw an opera called The Woodman. It was the very day on which the life story of Madam Billington, both from the good as well as from the bad sides was announced [i.e. Memoirs of Mrs Billington, and An Answer to the Memoirs of Mrs Billington, both anonymous, both predated 1792]...She sang rather timidly this evening, but very well all the same. The first tenor [Incledon] has a good voice and quite a good style, but he uses the falsetto to excess. He sang a trill on high C and ran up to G. The 2nd tenor [Johnstone] tries to imitate him, but could not make the change from the falsetto to the natural voice, and apart from that is most unmusical...But the cast is entirely used to him. The leader is Herr Baumgartner [sic], a German who, however, has almost forgotten his mother-tongue. The Theatre is very dark and dirty, and is almost as large as the Vienna Court Theatre. The common people in the galleries of all the theatres are very impertinent; they set the fashion with all their unrestrained impetuosity, and whether something is repeated or not is determined by their yells. The parterre and all the boxes sometimes have to applaud a great deal to have something good repeated. That was just what happened this evening, with the Duet in the 3rd Act, which was very beautiful; and the pro's and contra's went on for nearly a quarter of an hour, till finally the parterre and the boxes won, and they repeated the Duet. Both the performers stood on the stage quite terrified, first retiring, then again coming forward. The orchestra is sleepy" (Haydn, 273-74). Receipts: #194 11s. (191.8; 3.3)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by Jeremiah Meyer and William Hayley, "from the German." Larpent MS 941; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Herald, 18 Apr.]: With new Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations. The Music selected from Ditteus [i.e. Dittersdorf], Rauzzini and Salieri; the Overture and new Music by Reeve. Book of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Mme Carnevale had 1st appeared at king's in 1783.] Receipts: #252 3s. 6d. (242.19.6; 9.4.0)