The day after I went to hear the "Illuminated Symphony". I dont know what Newmans impression was, but this is mine. I believe Holbrooke to be a considerable humbug and certainly no artist. Apart from the fact that the whole affair smelt of self advertisement, both on the part of Trench & Holbrooke. The Collaboration of the magic lantern & the music was an entire failure - for the one drew ones attention away from the other. So one had to choose. Now for the poem & now for the music. The music was certainly not inspired by Trench's poem. Holbrooke might never have read the poem & I am not sure that he did - in any case he has not understood it & altho' I dont believe that the theme of "immortality" will ever again inspire a poet to a work of genius: the poem is infinitely better than the music. Apart from the music having nothing whatever to do with the poem- it is vulgar & obvious. H. has attained to a certain degree of efficiency as regards technique, but his musical soul is extremely dull, non sensitive & banal & the poetical & the artistic is wanting almost entirely. He is a musical "commercial traveller".