now at work upon a three-act lyric drama.

Augusta Mary Ann Holmes was born at Paris in 1847. Of Irish parentage,
she afterward became naturalized as a Frenchwoman. Her family were much
opposed to a musical career, and insisted on her giving it up. They did
not approve of any artistic pursuit for her, but allowed her to take up
painting as the lesser evil. Her love for music overcame all obstacles,
and she soon began to appear as a child-prodigy in public and private
concerts. Her early compositions took the form of songs, but when only
eleven she conducted a quickstep of her own, played at Versailles by an
artillery band. Her really great works, however, did not appear until
many years later.

[Illustration: AUGUSTA MARY ANN HOLMES]

Her first opera, "Hero et Leandre," was successfully produced in 1874,
and the psalm, "In Exitu," appeared at about the same time. In the next
year she became a pupil of Franck, whom she considers her real master,
and after that great works came thick and fast. An Andante Pastorale
from an unpublished symphony met with a favourable reception. Then came
the symphony "Lutece," which was second only to works of Dubois and
Godard in a Paris competition. This was followed by the symphonic poem,
"Pologne." Meanwhile she made another effort to win a prize with her
lyric drama "Les Argonautes." Out of twenty-four votes, she received
nine, her partisans being the best-known musicians on the jury. Next
came the symphonic poem, "Irlande," the "Vision de Sainte Therese," for
voice and orchestra, the symphonic ode, "Pro Patria Ludus," inspired by
a painting of Puvis de Chavannes, and the great "Ode Triomphale," given
at the Exposition in honour of the centenary of 1789.

The success of the Triumphal Ode was so marked that the composer's fame
reached foreign lands, and the city of Florence ordered from her the
cantata, "Hymne a la Paix," in celebration of the Dante festival. Her
impressions of Italy are recorded in her next suite, "Au Pays Bleu,"
which charmed all hearers by its expressive interest. Her other choral
works include the "Hymne a Apollo," and the allegorical cantata, "La
Vision de la Reine." Her latest symphonic poem, "Andromede," produced a
marked effect. Her last opera, "La Montagne Noire," was not especially
successful, though given with Alvarez, Breval, and other great artists
in the cast. The operas, "Astarte" and "Lancelot du Lac," are in
manuscript.

Mlle. Holmes has composed a