in 1838 he became conductor of the english opera at theatre royal, drury lane during the period of michael william balfe's great popularity; his own operas produced there were "the gipsy's warning" (1838), "the brides of venice" (1844), and "the crusaders" (1846). in 1848 he conducted felix mendelssohn's "elijah" at exeter hall, for the first appearance of jenny lind in oratorio, and in 1850 he was the accompanist and conductor on lind's tour of america.