The year 1899 saw the completion of Bantock's Helena: Orchestral Variations on the theme H.F.B. (premiered in Antwerp) and the unpublished orchestral poem Thalaba the Destroyer (like The Curse of Kehama, based on the poetry of Robert Southey). At New Brighton, Cowen (28 May), Stanford (25 June), Parry (9 July), Elgar (16 July), Corder (23 July), Wallace (30 July), German (20 August) and Mackenzie (3 September) all came to conduct concerts promoting their music; other highlights included a complete performance of Rubinstein's seven-movement ‘Ocean’ Symphony (11 June), an all-Berlioz programme on 2 July and an all-Liszt programme on 10 September. Although Bantock continued his plans to relaunch the New Quarterly Musical Review, this project was eventually abandoned. Wallace began work on his Pontius Pilate overture, and his Sister Helen was premiered at the Crystal Palace on 25 February; he also delivered his paper ‘The Scope of Programme Music’ to the Musical Association on 9 May and finally completed his Creation Symphony, which was premiered at New Brighton (conducted by Wallace) on 30 July together with his popular Freebooter Songs. Newman published what was to be the first of a series of books that made a significant contribution to Wagner scholarship, A Study of Wagner.

53 GRANVILLE BANTOCK TO WILLIAM WALLACE

Mio Wallachio!

A Happy New Year! I am writing to you on a matter to which I know you will give your best consideration. It will be necessary for me to engage a conductor for a good Military Band (not Hungarian) at the Tower this season, and I would like to offer you the post, if you can see your way to accept it. Briefly, the conditions are as follows: – (a) The season to commence at Easter, & to last for six months during April, May, June, July, August, September, with a probability of continuing the period; – (b) The post would in your case, carry with it that of deputy conductor for the large or combined orchestra at Sunday Concerts, Choral Society, etc; – (c) The terms would be four guineas a week; – (d) The Military band uniform will be dark blue, and as quiet as possible.