Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > British minstrel, and musical and literary miscellany

THE
BRITISH MINSTREL;
MUSICAL AND LITERARY MISCELLANY.
ADDRESS TO OUR READERS.
TUE MINSTREL SPEAKETH TO THE POBLIC AND
LOOKETH BACKWARD.
During that short period of seeming inaction,
which comes hetween the close of our first and the
beginning of our second volume, we cannot refrain
from addressing our patrons, the Public, in a few
short sentences.
When n-e commenced our task we had much
hope, and many fears ; but this uncertainty was to
a great extent inseparable from the character of our
publication. For although cheap selections of
music have at different periods been published, and
many of them excellent, still a work like ours,
which, while it would bring vocal music of all
kinds into the hands of the amateur, promised to
do much more, and that was, to unite with the
musical selections literary notices of composers and
their works, of performers and their various orders
of talent, remained a desideratum to be supplied.
It was this union of Music and Literature in the
same sheet, and at an exceedingly low rate of charge,
which constituted the novelty of our publication.
While we knew that such a work was wanted, and
hoped that it would meet with a ready sale, we feared
lest the public should pronounce it to be either too
musical or too literary. But the event has proven
our idea a good one, and our fear unfounded, for the
public has silently answered with the kindest, and
to us most grateful, approval, by supporting us
liberally. For your patronage, respected public,
the Minstrel offers kind thanks, and promises con-
tinued and unwearied industry.
THE MINSTREL SPEAKETH OF HIMSELF, AND
FINDETH REASONS OF SELF-GRATDLATION.
Having achieved the first part of our labour, and
feeling ourselves to a certain extent established in
the good graces of the Public, we cast aside every
feeliL^ W.4^S>oi"icuce, and gather ouiselres up for
a contmuance of our duties. We entered upon the
task of providing a store of good and cheap music
for the people, with the heartiest love for the un-
dertaking, and that sustained us when everything
in the social horizon looked lowering, gloomy, and
ominous. The state of commerce and trade, the
excitement produced in the public mind by various
political and other agitations, was such that we
could not expect to become the object of especial
attention, or to gain all at once that amount of cir-
culation which better times might have procured for
our Miscellany. Still, in the midst of all these cir.
cumstances, which no doubt rendered hazardous the
success of our candidate for favour and acceptance,
we have nevertheless been cheered on by a steadily
increasing demand. We are not disposed to be ego-
tistical or boastful, but we may say with truth, that
the character of our work has brought it healthfully
to its present age; we have used none of the usual
means to bolster it up, but have left its untrumpeted
merits to be its sole recommendation. We have
neither sought nor bought the voice of the periodi-
cal or newspaper press in our favour; yet we have
been noticed by several publications, in words of
honourable, because unsolicited, commendation.
The Minstrel begs that all those who have con-
descended to mention and approve of our humble
sheet, may accept this public acknowledgment of
our gratitude.
THE MINSTREL ADDRESSETH CORRESPONDENTS
AND CONTKIBDTORS.
While we speak of ourselves we are happy to
acknowledge that we have been well backed.
Every week new support has been vouchsafed to us
by numerous able and talented correspondents,
who entered heart and hand with us into the busi-
ness of providing matter, each more anxious than
his fellow to aid us. And we venture to express a
hope that these our friends will not relax in their
research, nor witlidraw their support from us, but
Ko. 41.