2ed AD&D mage/bard

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I've been building some new NPC's for the campaign I'm currently running and one of them is a half-elf mage/bard. According to the Bard's Handbook this is a valid combination as long as I choose a certain kit. So far no problem...

But the thing I'm not sure about is combining the casting abilities of both classes. I first thought about just adding the spell progression tables, but the more I look at it the more overpowered it seems. For instance, a level 5/6 mage/bard gets 7 1st level, 4 2nd level and 1 3rd level spells at the same XP value as a 6th level wizard...

What do you think is the best solution to handle this?

 

I ran into a similar dilema. The Bard handbook allows the multiclass you outlined, yet never gave definite rules on how spells were handled (nor, similarly, how bard/thieves handled their skill points).

I'd treat the mage level as the spellcasting level, and determine a number of spells per day according to the mage class. I'd also give you something for being part bard, maybe a bonus mage spell per level, as long as the bard class allowed a spell of that level on it's own. It's almost like making the mage/bard a specialist mage, without an opposition school (but with divinding XP between two classes).