CONCERT, a term meaning, in general, co-operation, agree ment or union ; the more specific usages being in music and in diplomacy. The term "Concert of Europe" has been commonly applied, since the Congress of Vienna (1814-15), to the six great European Powers consulting or acting together in questions of common interest. This ceased to exist on the formation, before the World War, of the Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente.
A complete history of concerts, in the sense of musical enter tainments, has yet to be written, but it appears that some of the earliest entertainments of this kind were given in England. This was as long ago as 1672 when on Dec. 3o, John Banister, a well known violinist of the day and leader of the King's Band, who was also a composer, announced the first of them as follows in the London Gazette: "These are to give notice that at Mr. John Banister's house, now called the Musick School, over against the George Tavern, in White Friars, this present Monday, will be musick performed by excellent masters, beginning precisely at four of the clock in the afternoon, and every afternoon for the future, precisely at the same hour." The charge of admission to these "musick" makings was one shilling and from the fact that they were continued by Banister till the year of his death (1679) they were evidently successful.
Another and better known pioneer in the same field was Thomas Britton (1643-1714) who lives in history as the "Musi cal Small-Coal Man." (He was an itinerant vendor of "small coal" who was at the same time a man of wide general knowl edge and intelligence and an enthusiastic music-lover.) His concerts given weekly in a room over his shop in Clerkenwell, were established in 1678 and enjoyed great popularity. The most eminent performers, including even Handel, appeared at them and they were attended by all the best people of the day, who paid the modest subscription of ten shillings a year for the privilege. Britton died in 1714, by which time other concerts of importance were being given by the Academy of Ancient Music which was formed for this purpose about the year 171 o and held its meet ings, under the direction of Dr. Pepusch, with the support of many eminent folk, at the Crown and Anchor tavern in the Strand. Handel took part in these concerts also, together with Geminiani and many other famous musicians.
In 1713 came into existence the first of London's regular public concert rooms, known as Hickford's Room and located in the first instance in James street, Haymarket, close to where the Comedy theatre stands today, and here for many years all the most fashionable and important concerts of the period were given. Here appeared, among others, Veracini, Geminiani and (it is believed) Domenico Scarlatti, together with the most famous visiting operatic singers of the time, instrumentalists, prodigies and so forth. Later (in 1739) Hickford shifted his quarters to Brewer street, Golden square, where the "new Great Room" which he referred to in his advertisements may still be seen in excellent preservation, the premises (no. 41) being now (1928) occupied by a laundry. In this room Mozart himself appeared as a prodigy of eight. Hickford's Room, where concerts continued to be given till 1779, was succeeded as London's chief musical resort by the Hanover Square Rooms, where from 1774 onwards for the best part of a century many of the more important concerts took place. Much frequented also during this period were the Argyll rooms (from about 1800 to 183o), while later (1858) came St. James's hall which, in turn, was for many years the centre of London's musical life. Here were given the famous Monday and Saturday Popular concerts, the Richter concerts, those of the Philharmonic Society, and others, important and unimportant, in ever-increasing numbers as year by year the concert-giving in dustry steadily developed. Yet though so extensively patronized and the scene of so many memorable performances, St. James's hall was never a satisfactory undertaking financially (too large a sum having been sunk in its building) and it was pulled down in i9o5 to make way for the Piccadilly hotel which occupies its site to-day.
In the meantime the somewhat larger Queen's hall had already been erected in Langham place, and this constitutes London's most important concert room to-day, though not the largest, this dis tinction belonging to the Royal Albert hall with its accommoda tion for io,000 hearers.
On the Continent and in America concert-giving has followed much the same course as that sketched above, developing every where from the smallest beginnings into a veritable industry of prodigious dimensions. In Germany and Austria, under the patronage system, private performances in the residences of the sovereigns and great nobles at first checked the development of ordinary public concerts but by the beginning of the i8th century these were coming to be known, and by Beethoven's time they were well established; the like applying in the case of Paris, where the famous "Concerts spirituels" were founded by Philidor in 1725. (H. A. Sc.)