• ensemble of the Royal Infantry Regiment of Baron Wernhardt: participating ensemble
• JEŠKO, Ludevít: director of ensemble

In a text similar in content to the contemporary announcement by Bohemia 2/12/1858 of a Society Ball [Vereinsball] that was to take place on 12/1/1859, Prager Morgenpost 2/12/1858 announced that ‘We bring the Dance-loving young World of Prague the pleasing news that the „Besedy‟ ... [will take place during the Carnival season in the Sophieninselsaal].’ The dates for the actual events were announced as 24 January and 7 February, with a musical rehearsal on 15 January. At the rehearsal new works specially composed for the occasion were to be performed.On each day between 18/1/1859 and 23/1/1859 inclusive Prager Morgenpost published an advertisement in Czech from the beseda committee announcing that tickets for 24/1/1859 and for the second beseda on 7/2/1859 could be purchased each day between 11am and 1pm from the inn ‘u černého koně [At the Black Horse]’.

The various reports of the first ‘Narodni beseda’ that were published by the German language newspaper Prager Morgenpost and by the Czech music periodical Dalibor 1/2/1859 gave details of the ‘magnificent’ decoration and arrangement of the Žofín Hall but contained little or no information as to the musical content of the occasion. The event, which attracted a ‘numerous and refined’ audience ended at 6am on the following morning. The dance compositions performed would have comprised piece previously given at the musical rehearsal on 15/1/1859. Although the participating orchestra was not named by any of the specified reports detailing the beseda, there can be little doubt that is was the ensemble of the Infantry Regiment of Baron Wernhardt. This ensemble participated in the earlier musical rehearsal and 24/01/1859 the director of music at the event was identified as Ludevít Ješko. Ješko at this time was the director of Wernhardt’s orchestra.