The Press. — London, England, 1855-08-25 00:00:00

~i~ been laid before the Birmingham Parliament; there was only one point left open, like that at the Vienna Conferences. The committee insisted on the terms of 1852. Mme. Novello argued for an increase. The rejoinder was polite, but firm. She was paid enough in 1852. Mme. Novello retorted that she wax worth double in point of attraction. The com mittee bint3d that, as they could do without Jenny Lind, they could also dispense with Mme. Clara. The negotiation was broken off. Mme. Novello's brother (the clever vocalist being absent in Italy) rushed into print. The committee expressed to Lisbon, and presto Mme. Castellon reached the British shores, and was engaged, the committee also enlisting Grisi, Mme. Bosio, Mme. Ruders dorff, Miss Dolby, and Viardot, as the other lady singers, enrolling at the same time four tenors in Mario, Gardoni, Reichardt, Sims Reeves, and three bassi profondi in Lablache, Weiss, and Formes. Another lengthened correspondence in connection with this festival has been given to the world, for this is the age of rushing into print; and English journalism, rather than not pique the curiosity of its " Constant Readers," has not even hesitated to make known to the Russians the minutest details of mili tary and naval plans. The great question in the Birmingham Councils for the last three years has been to persuade Meyerbeer to compose an oratorio, like Mendelssohn, expressly for the triennial gathering. Meyerbeer, however, is not unlike his protegee, Jenny Lind, very difficult to be induced to come to a resolution; and then Mr. Mason, with much tact, commissioned Costa to compose Eli, the words being supplied by Mr. Bartholomew, the author of the book of Elijah for Mendelssohn. Costa was the conductor of the two last festivals; and it is not a little singular that, about a quarter of a century since, he made his dibut in this country as a tenor at one of these meetings. His subsequent career at Her Majesty's Theatre, as the successor of Signor Spagnoletti in the direction of the band, and as one of the founders of the Royal Italian Opera, is well known. His two operas of Malek Adel and Don Carlos, although they were not maintained in the permanent repertoire, gave him a reputation as a most promising com poser, but he never followed up these early efforts. Some stray vocal pieces, which figured at fashionable concerts, and a sacred work done at the Birmingham Festival, were sufficient for some amateurs to venture an opinion that he only was biding his time. As the conductor of the Philharmonic Concerts and of the Sacred Harmonic Society for many years, Costa acquired great experience and a thorough knowledge of the works of the immortal masterminds. Next Wednesday will decide whether a new writer of sacred music has not been called into existence. The orchestral and choral forces put in requisition for the meeting are stupendous. The band consists of nearly 150 picked players, the most eminent soloists in the country, native as well as foreign, being included therein. A finer-balanced orchestra was probably never collected. There are twenty eight first violins, with Sainton and Blagrove as chefs d'attague ; twenty-eight second violins, with Watkins as principal ; eighteen violas, with Hill at the head ; seventeen violoncellos, Lucas at the top; and seven teen double basses, with Howell's herculean fingers to pull them through. The wood band is doubled in the parts, as also the trumpets. The brass is judi ciously kept within bounds, Costa wisely resorting to a couple of serpents and to the organ's thunder in the grand climaxes. In the chorus may be counted eighty sopranos, eighty altos, eighty-two tenors, and eighty-two bassos, in all 32-1 voices, and such voices ! In addition to the strength of the practised Birming ham choralists, London has been ransacked for its most experienced choral singers, whilst the elite of the cathedral choirs, and the exquisitely fresh and sonorous voices to be found in the Yorkshire and Lancashire Choral Societies, have been combined for the vast ensemble. How all the elements will be wrought into one coherent and colossal whole, let next week's PRESS record. The oratorios and sacred works will be Mendelsohn's Elijah, Costa's Eli, Handel's Messiah, Beethoven's Mount of Olives, and Mozart's Requiem. The concert novelties will be Macfarren's cantata Lenora and Howard Glover's can• tata Tam o' Shanter. In anticipation of Meyerbeer's presence, copious gleanings have been made from his Huguenots, Prophite, Etoile du Nord, and the Invo cazione all' Ammonia. The production of a royal amateur, Prince Albert, will be heard. The sympho nies and overtures are worthy of the orchestra which has to execute them. HEREFORD.—The one hundred and thirty-second meeting of the three choirs commenced last Tuesday in the cathedral at Hereford, and terminated yester day (Friday) with Handel's Messiah. The Rev. W. F. Hopton preached the sermon on Tuesday, his text being Isaiah, chap. lv., v. 1, "Lo, every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters:; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price." The musical portion of the service included the customary pieces. There were two novelties, the first in a "Jubilate" by Mr. H. Townshend Smith, the Here- THE PRESS. ford organist and conductor of the festival. As an occasional piece it invites no criticism. Men delssohn's ninety•eighth Psalm, " Sing ye to the Lord," for eight voices, was the second novelty. The two first verses are sung without accompani ment, and the last with orchestra and harp obligati. The execution was very indifferent. Wednesday'd performance of Elijah, with limited means (the band was under sixty) for such a large space, was, on the whole, gratifying. There are effects in sacred music which come out with thrilling sensa tions within cathedral walls. Mario's singing of the air "If with all your hearts," albeit encored by the Bishop of Hereford, was a mistake. On Thursday there was a singular mixture in Men delssohn's hymn of Praise, Spohr's Christian's Prayer, and Mozart's Twelfth Mass. There was also an overture called "Il Polycart," composed by the Rev. Sir F. A. Gore Ouseley, Bart, the successor to the Oxford Chair of Music of the late Sir Henry Bishop. This overture was incomprehensible—not the music, fcr that was simple and scholastic, but from the odd title. In addition to the four morning performances there were three evening concerts at the Shire-hail on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thurs. day. The principal singers were Grisi (who never did shine in a concert-room) ; Mme. Clara Novello, who has been singing grandly at this festival; Mme. Weiss, who has a magnificent soprano, and is gaining ground with the public ; Miss Moss, a pupil of Miss Dolby, who was the contralto of the meeting. The tenors were Mario and Sims Reeves, both singing their very best; and Mr. Montem Smith, a brother of the conductor, a rising young tenor. The basses were Mr. H. Barnby, and Mr. W. H. Weiss. The last mentioned basso is advancing steadily. Master Arthur Napoleon, the precocious boy pianist, Mr. R. Blagrove, con certina, and Mr. Henry Blagrove, the violinist, were the soloists. Mr. Arnott, of Gloucester, presided at the organ, and Mr. Done, of Worcester, at the piano— a very absurd arrangement at these gatherings, at which the ancient mode of having a leader beating time against a conductor, or vice versd, has not yet been dispensed with, and the organist of one cathe dral is transferred to the instrument of another cathedral, with the organ of which he can be but imperfectly acquainted. With the opening of the new railroad to Hereford, the line from Worcester through the picturesque Malvern Hills being the only one unfinished, it is hoped that the pecuniary results of the meeting will not impose on the stewards the necessity of paying any deficiency. The collections will be above the average, and the excellent charities of the three dioceses will therefore not be losers ; and with 147 benefices under 1001. each in income, it would in deed be lamentable if the Festivals of the Three Choirs were to decrease in attraction. At the same time, improvement in execution must be borne in mind by the managers. HAYMARKET THEATRE.—On Thursday night the Busy Body, which continues to have a successful run, was followed by a " squib," by the Brothers Brough, called Olympus in a Muddle ; or, Wrong People in Wrong Places—an attempt to extract some amusement out of the political topic of the day. Jupiter having quarrelled with the Goddess of Wis dom, makes a new set of administrative arrange ments, appointing the various gods and goddesses to the posts for which they are most unfit. Mars is made a maid-servant of all work ; Venus, commander of the forces ; Mercury, an accountant; Hercules, a laundress—and so on, till the result is a "muddle," which requires all the administrative talent of Minerva to restore to order. This idea is attempted to be worked out by doggrel verses and burlesque singing; but the whole thing is laboured and sadly deficient in point. Compton raised some laughter by his grotesque performance of Jupiter, and was encored in a comic song, but the piece went off very flatly; and when the curtain fell the applause was feeble, and mingled with loud disapprobation. CREMORNE GARDENS.—The Ashburnham Military Spectacle has been repeated here three times during the week with very great success, both as regards its varied and striking effects and the patronage awarded to it. Mr. Simpson has, in consequence, determined to give it every night.—The last show of the South London Floricultural Society takes place here on Thursday, and will be continued until ten o'clock, to allow the public a greater opportunity of admiring the gorgeous flowers of the autumnal season. A CARD.—The Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, artist in hair (late Chancellor of her Majesty's Exchequer). Hairs carefully split with any degree of minuteness that may be required. N.B. Hair-splitter to his Holiness Pius IX., the Roman Pontiff; also to Alex ander 11., Emperor of all the Russias.—Punch. A SINGULAR DISCOVERY has been made at Aix-la- Chapelle. In a bale of cotton shipped from the United States to Warsaw, by way of Antwerp, there were found several six-barrel revolvers and a quantity of powder. Sktrith LORD STANLEY ON EDUCATION. THE members of the various mechanics institutions connected with the Institutional Association of Lan cashire and Cheshire had a reunion at KnOwsley on Saturday, when, by special order of the Earl of herby, both the beautiful grounds of the estate and the reception-rooms of the mansion itself were thrown open, and placed at their service. During the after noon streams of respectably-dressed and well-behaved people entered the grounds from various points, the great bulk being from Manchester, which contributed upwards of 1,000, while Bolton sent 300, Warrington 300, Bury 150, Liverpool 500, the total number of about 5 000 , persons being completed by draughts from other towns in the two counties. Soon after five o'clock the appearance of Lord Stanley on the colonnade, in the south front of the hall, was the signal for a vehement burst of applause from the group of excursionists on the lawn below. Mr. Ross proposed : That the most respecthil and grateful thanks of this meeting, represented by seventy mechanics' and other adult educational institutions of Lancashire and Cheshire, be presented to the Hight Hon. the Earl of Derby for hisnoble and generous conduct in admitting so large an assemblage tohis mansion and grounds and this meeting desires to assure Lord Stanley, M.P., that the friends of educational reform entertain the most lively gratitude towards his lordship for his enlightened advocacy of every measure conducive to the moral and intellectual welfare of the people. Lord STANLEY then came forward, and briefly ad- dressed the assembly. He said : Ladies and gentlemen, —Good neighbours all,—Don't imagine that I am about to ask you to waste any consider-. able part of the remaining portion of this day, unfortu nately too short, in listening to a speech from me. Public speaking is only valuable, or even endurable, when it leads to some practical result in the form of action. (Hear, hear.) Business is a good thing, as in Lancashire we all know ; amusement and recreation are good also, as both in our own case and that of our neighbours we are, iu this country, sometimes too apt to forget; but when you try to mix pleasure and business together, you run a great risk of spoiling both. (Hear, hear.) There are no many things better than a fine summer's day in the country, and as we have got one (rather a chance in this climate) we won't spoil it, after this cordial greeting paid ou both sides, by ceremony, or constraint, or formality of any kind. Ido assure you there is no one on that lawn, man, woman, or child, be they who they may, that enjoys this scene better than I do. (Cheers.) I never look round this old place —I never walk out in that park, with which I hope you will shortly make acquaintance, without thinking that they want only one thing to make them perfect in my eyes, and that is, a few more happy faces to enliven and enjoy the scene. (Cheers.) That wish is fully gratified now, and I hope this may be only the first of many similar excursions, for which, I undertake to say, all facilities shall be given. (Great cheering.) As for this association of which you are members, and concerning which I have been requested to speak a word, I will only say I wish it well. It has not lasted long in its present form, but it is in good hands—it has made a good start—and it carries with it the best wishes of all parties and classes among those who are friends of education and of the people. ( Applause.) As to the principle of adult education, a man must be twenty years behind the age who consents to argue that. The thing has got beyond the reach of controversy; it is past that stage at which it can need the aid of platform-speaking, or newspaper-writing, or agitation of any kind; it now only wants doing—talking about it is waste of words only— carrying out, once for all, in the speediest and silentest practicable manner. Every year brings more clearly into light a few leading truths which had, until of late, been too much overlooked. Every year we see more plainly that in education, as in other matters, self-help is the best help— ' (cheers, and cries of " Bravo !")—that a little which men do for themselves is better than a great deal that they get I the State to do for them. We see too this, and not long ago it was a matter which philanthropists and the public were too much in the habit of overlooking, we see that we cannot, by any interference on the part of Government or the public, deprive the parent of the privilege or absolve hint from that duty and responsibility which lies primarily on him—that of duly instructing his children. And from these admitted truths it follows that, in order to do any real good, it is the parent who must be interested in the work of education. (Cheers.) That you can only accomplish by giving him also an interest in literature and literary pursuits on his own account; and that is what, in associations of this kind, you undertake and en deavour to effect, and the work upon which we one and all are engaged. Now, the principle of adult education being thus indisputable, how do you here carry it put? In this association, I suppose you don't want telling, there are seventy institutions, and more than 16,000 members, while your libraries and reading-rooms contain in the aggregate about 230,000 volumes. Of this associa tion, as I understand it, the two leading features are these —one is, mutual assistance among a large number of unconnected institutions, the securing of a bond of union between them, of a common centre to which all their members may look, so that local difficulties may be more easily got over, local quarrels or differences as to manage ment decided in au amicable way, and the special expe rience of each institution made available for the common benefit of all. That is one object of which the advantage is readily recognised, and to a considerable extent has been attained. (Hear, hear.) The other leading feature is the establishment of itinerating libraries, or collections of books circulating gratuitously from village to village, in rural districts which are not populous enough to maintain libraries for themselves. That is still almost a novelty in England. It is now for the first time being tried in other counties; but here the system hat been, though but on a