In May, 1791, I set off by the Leicester coach to London to be present at the grand music meeting in Westminster Abbey.... The morning after my arrival in town I called upon the Valentines, who were lodging at Cahusac’s music-shop, opposite to the church in the Strand, where I hired a violin. On entering the abbey the magnitude of the orchestra filled me with surprise; it rose nearly to the top of the west window, and above the arches of the main aisle. There was on each side a tier of projecting galleries, in one of which I was placed. Above us were the trumpeters, who had appended to their instruments richly-embossed banners worked in silver and gold, and we had flags of the same description, which gave the whole a gorgeous and magnificent appearance. The arrangement of the performers was admirable, particularly that of the soprani. The young ladies were placed upon a frame-work in the centre of the band in the form of a pyramid, as you see flower-pots set up for show. This greatly improved the musical effect. The band was a thousand strong, ably conducted by Joah Bates, upon the organ. It was directed that during the choruses no one should desist from playing, or sit down. An Italian, of the name of Turin, having disobeyed this command, one of those precious youths, the Ashleys, in a loud chorus nailed down his coat to the seat, and on his getting up he tore off the lap. Pachirotti was singing at the time, when the Italian in a great rage called out Got dem, Got dem, so loud, that it rang through the abbey, and attracted the attention of the king, who despatched Lord Sandwich into the orchestra to learn the cause of this disturbance; but no one dared to hint at the offender. The next day these lawless gentlemen put twenty pennyworth of halfpence into the inside of his fiddle, the rattle of which at first enraged him, but he contentedly sat down and pocketed the affront. The orchestra was so very steep that it was dangerous to come down, and some accidents took place; one was of a ludicrous nature. A person falling upon a double bass, as it lay on its side, immediately disappeared; nothing was seen of him but his legs protruding out of the instrument. For some time, no one could assist him for laughing. Haydn was present at this performance, and by the aid of a telescope, planted on a stand near the kettle-drums, I saw the composer near the king's box. The performance attracted persons from all parts of Europe, and such was the demand for tickets, that in some instances a single one was sold for 20l. << less