Birmingham Triennial Music Festival
Many famous musicians performed at the festival.  In 1837 Felix Mendelssohn conducted a performance of his oratorio St. Paul, played the organ, and played the piano part in the first performance of his Piano  Concerto No. 2 which had been especially commissioned by the Festival.  In the next festival he played his Piano Concerto No. 1.  In 1846  (a year before he died) the festival commissioned him to write his oratorio Elijah.  It was a huge success.  He was paid 200 guineas.  Elijah was played at every festival after that.