The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-04-17 00:00:00

WEVitoUTH.
WEYMOUTH cOUNTY CoUI:T.

BLANDFORD.

SACRED M CSIC. - -It was awe iiiii ced by a note pro-
gramme that on Wednesday evening the 11th ult., a I
performance of sacred unisa: would take place at the
British Scleeil-rienn. When we entered the room,
about lOU to 150 respectable inhabitants of the towu
bad assembled, and though the room was long. low,
and shed-like, evidently built in violation of all
sanitary and acoustic principles, ingenuity rather
than artistic arrangement had so covered the walls
that, when lighted up by oruamental lamps. the faults
of ifs construction were considerably lessened in ap-
pearance. The ladies and gentlemen who had pro-
mised to assist, with one or two exceptions, laid no
claim to superior excellence in playing or singing.
but hail combined their doinesticallv•traintsl powers
in the hope of aiding the film& of a school incalcu-
lably useful in educating the children of the pied.
The moral courage silent: that allowed them to coins
from the privacy of domestic life, and steed upon
the public platform for Buell an object, would deter
us from "Meting an °Oudot' on individual effort, lest
we sheuld inadvertently say aught that would seem
to convey the shade of even critical discouragement. ,
, The fact that a few practice evenings had prepared
I fourteen or fifteen individuals not in the habit of
singing together, or before the public. to execute with
procishei and taste a series of difficultlysirrangeil
musical compositions will speak for itself, and needs
no sort of comment from us. If, however, we
sere to select from the programme them pieces most
efficiently rendered, we should instance " Like as a
father pitieth his children," and the anthem of the
Wateribeids." In the latter, especially, the
female solo parts, contrasted with the full
it 'muses, gave to this piece the light and
shade, if we may so express it, of effect, and as the
anthem was likewise peculiarly rich in pleasing
ha: mony, we may justly designate the execution oh
I this piece as the crowning success in an evening's
batch of sacred music, characterised as a whole, by
I features of greater excellence than many others of •
more pretentious character. We should be pleased
to notice more fully the astonishing proficiency of
the very small boy who sang the counter in the
beautiful duet of " Sunshine," and say a word or
two more about Mr. Hunt's solo performance on the
cornopean, and Mrs. Edward's, (daughter of an old
proftenienahat, Mrs. Oakley) pianoforte success, but
we purposely refrain from giving greater prominence
to individual merit, and close our notice by
expressing the wish that we may have aaother
omeirtunity of bearing the same pieces sung and
played by the same persons in a better room and
to a much larger audience. We are glad to find that
the finale of the school have been benefited to a
greater extent than was anticipated; and we would
• suggest. that should another performance of a like
kind for a like object take place, that the boys of
the school be prepared to give the public some idea
of the useful education they are receiving.
esre r Fro NO EXTRAORDDC A RV. —A regular
, notice was affixed at the church and chapel doors on
sunday the hth nlt, raining a meeting of the rate-
pasers to pass the churchwardens' accounts and
r. elect the present officers, or elect others in their
! place. The rate-payers duly assembled, but there
I was but one chun.thwarden present, and that gentle-
elan informed the meeting that he knew nothing
I About the matter, and that his more knowing
colleague had gime from home. The rate payers
looked at each other as only rate-pavers can look
under such circumstances, and walked away in ones
, and twos as if they hail not had their money's worth.
The meeting was adjourned to Wednesday, the Itith
r instant.