o found
a musical society that should give hearings to the works of living
French composers exclusively. The first meetings were interrupted by the
doings of the Commune; but they began again in October, 1871. The
Society's early statutes were drawn up by Alexis de Castillon, a
military officer and a talented composer, who, after having served in
the war of 1870 at the head of the _mobiles_ of Eure-et-Loire, was one
of the founders of French chamber-music, and died prematurely in 1873,
aged thirty-five. It was these statutes, signed by Saint-Saens,
Castillon, and Garcin, that gave the Society its title of _Societe
Nationale de Musique_, and its device, "_Ars gallica_." This is what the
statutes say about the aims of the Society:

"The aim of the Society is to aid the production and the
popularisation of all serious musical works, whether published or
unpublished, of French composers; to encourage and bring to light,
so far as is in its power, all musical endeavour, whatever form it
may take, on condition that there is evidence of high, artistic
aspiration on the part of the author.... It is in brotherly love,
with complete forgetfulness of self, and with the firm intention of
aiding one another as far as they can, that the members of the
Society will co-operate, each in his own sphere of action, for the
study and performance of the works which they shall be called upon
to select and to interpret."

The first Committee was made up as follows: President, Bussine;
Vice-President, Saint-Saens; Secretary, Alexis de Castillon;
Under-Secretary, Jules Garcin; Treasurer, Lenepveu. The members of the
Committee were: Cesar Franck, Theodore Dubois, E. Guiraud, Fissot,
Bourgault-Ducoudray, Faure, and Lalo.

The first concert was given on 25 November, 1871, in the Salle Pleyel;
and it is worthy of note that the first work played was a trio of Cesar
Franck's. Since then the Society has given three hundred and fifty
performances of chamber-music or orchestral works. The best known French
composers and virtuosi have taken part as executants, among others:
Cesar Franck, Saint-Saens, Massenet, Bizet, Vincent d'Indy, Faure,
Chabrier, Guiraud, Debussy, Lekeu, Lamoureux, Chevillard, Taffanel,
Widor, Messager, Diemer, Sarasate, Risler, Cortot, Ysaye, etc. And among
the compositions that have been played for the first time it is enough
to mention the following:

Cesar Franck: Nearly t