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ST. JAMES'S HALL BALLAD CONCERTS 225
sented with a huge laurel wreath—the second during the afternoon. Still the audience applauded, and Mr. Lloyd was bowing right and left, evidently much moved. Suddenly Mr. Ganz rushed to the piano and played something. Then Madame Albani's voice, singing ' For he's a jolly good fellow,' pierced through the cheering, and we all joined in. Once more Mr. Lloyd bowed and retired. But the clapping continued, until he was almost pushed on to the platform again. Madame Albani seized Mr. Lloyd's right hand, and Miss Butt his left, and led him forward, the other artists forming a ring, and then all the singers began ' Auld Lang Syne.' "
At the time when the artists mentioned above were delighting large audiences at the St. James's Hall, one or two other names, all well known and famous to-day, were just coming to the front. To quote Mr. Mackinlay once more : " Plunket Greene was just at the beginning of his career, Clara Butt had not yet made her debut; Ada Crossley was still in Australia, and Ben Davies was being spoken of as a l young singer who was making rapid strides, and showing great powers of expression.'"
These, then, were some of the singers who came after. It is hard to believe, even though I have had it from his own lips, that Ben Davies at the outset of his career could get no concert work at
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