MACKENZIE.

Alexander C. Mackenzie, one of the very few successful Scotch composers,
was born at Edinburgh in 1847. His father was a musician; and recognizing
his son's talent, sent him to Germany at the age of ten. He began his
studies with Ulrich Eduard Stein at Schwartzburg-Sonderhausen, and four
years later entered the ducal orchestra as violinist. He remained there
until 1862, when he went to England to study the violin with M. Sainton.
In the same year he was elected king's scholar of the Royal Academy of
Music. Three years later he returned to Edinburgh and established himself
as a piano-teacher. The main work of his life, however, has been
composition, and to this he has devoted himself with assiduity and
remarkable success. Grove catalogues among his works: "Cervantes, an
overture for orchestra;" a scherzo for ditto; overture to a comedy; a
string quintet and many other pieces in MS.; pianoforte quartet in B, op.
11; Trois Morceaux pour Piano, op. 15; two songs, op. 12; besides songs,
part-songs, anthems, and pieces for the piano. This catalogue, however,
does not include his two most important works,--a Scotch Rhapsody,
introduced into this country by the Theodore Thomas orchestra, a
composition of great merit, and the oratorio, "The Rose of Sharon," which
has been received with extraordinary favor wherever it has been
performed.

The Rose of Sharon.

"The Rose of Sharon," a dramatic oratorio founded on the Song of Solomon,
the words selected from the Scriptures and arranged by Joseph Bennett,
was first brought out at the Norwich Festival, England, Oct. 16, 1884,
under the direction of the composer, and was subsequently performed in
London by the Sacred Harmonic Society. Its first performance in Scotland
took place at Glasgow, Dec. 8, 1885, under the auspices of the Glasgow
Choral Union, Madame Albani, Miss Hilda Wilson, Mr. Edward Lloyd, and Mr.
Watkins Mills being the principal vocalists. One notice of this
performance says: "The enthusiastic reception of the work on this
occasion was beyond all description; the composer was recalled after each
part with cheers that must have made his heart leap with delight." At the
first performance at Norwich he was showered with flowers by the chorus,
while the whole audience rose and greeted him with prolonged cheering. In
speaking of the text, its compiler says:--

"In adopting for the purposes of this oratorio a