▁of ▁the ▁or chestra . ▁His ▁preferred ▁layout ▁was ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁second ▁viol ins ▁grouped ▁together ▁on ▁his ▁left , ▁with ▁the ▁cell os ▁to ▁his ▁right , ▁a ▁layout ▁that ▁has ▁since ▁become ▁common . ▁ ▁Between ▁the ▁first ▁and ▁second ▁season ▁of ▁prom en ade ▁concert s , ▁Wood ▁did ▁his ▁last ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁opera ▁house , ▁conduct ing ▁Stan ford ' s ▁new ▁opera ▁Sh am us ▁O ' B rien ▁at ▁the ▁Opera ▁Com ique . ▁It ▁ran ▁from ▁March ▁until ▁July ▁ 1 8 9 6 , ▁leaving ▁Wood ▁enough ▁time ▁to ▁prepare ▁the ▁second ▁Queen ' s ▁Hall ▁season , ▁which ▁began ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁August . ▁The ▁season ▁was ▁so ▁successful ▁that ▁New man ▁followed ▁it ▁with ▁a ▁winter ▁season ▁of ▁Saturday ▁night ▁prom en ade ▁concert s , ▁but ▁despite ▁being ▁popular ▁they ▁were ▁not ▁a ▁financial ▁success , ▁and ▁were ▁not ▁repeated ▁in ▁later ▁years . ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁Wood ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁Hall ' s ▁pr estig ious ▁Saturday ▁afternoon ▁sym phony ▁concert s . ▁He ▁contin ually ▁presented ▁new ▁works ▁by ▁compos ers ▁of ▁many ▁national ities , ▁and ▁was ▁particularly ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁skill ▁in ▁Russian ▁music . ▁S ull ivan ▁wrote ▁to ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁" I ▁have ▁never ▁heard ▁a ▁fin er ▁performance ▁in ▁England ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁T cha ik ov sky ▁sym phony ▁under ▁your ▁direction