The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-23 00:00:00

THE TRIENNIAL HANDEL FESTIVAL.

The Eighth Triennial Handel Festival began on
Monday at the Crystal Palace with the accustomed
performance of The Messiah. There was a very large
attendance, it being computed at three o'clock that
over 20,000 persons had entered the Palace. The day's
proceedings were heralded by the customary per-
formance of the National Anthem, which was given
out by the orchestra, then sung by the choral sopranos,
then by the altos, the final verse having been given
with full choir and orchestra. In the absence, through
ill-health of Sir Michael Costa, the baton of conductor
was wielded by Mr. August Manna.

In giving an account of the day's programme the
Daily News says :
The overture to the Messiah served to display
specially the fine body of stringed instruments, and
the closeness with which the fugal allegro went bore
testimony to the steadiness of the band and the con-
ductor. In speaking of the vocal music first mention
is due to Madame Albani, to whom were assigned all
the soprano solos. It is within recent seasons that this
eminent artiste has appeared as an oratorio singer, and
has gained a distinction in this respect comparable to
that which she had previously obtained—and still
maintains—as a stage vocalist, Again, yesterday,
the pure silvery quality of her voice was distinctly
heard, even when most subdued, at a long distance
from the orchestra. The bravura air "Rejoice
greatly" was given with bright and fluent vocalism;
and the airs "Come unto him" and "I know that
my Redeemer liveth " with exquisite purity of style
and religious sentiment; Madame Albani's delivery
of the incidental recitatives and the leading parts in
the two quartets having been important, although
subsidiary features. The contralto solos were
divided between Madame Trebelli and Madame
Patey, the former of whom produced a special
effect in the airs " 0, thou that tellest" and " He
shall feed His flock," as did the other lady in the solo
"He was despised." Mr. Maas, who sustained all the
tenor solo music, was very successful in the airs
"Every valley" and "But Thou didst not leave," and
elicited enthusiastic applause by his delivery of the de-
clamatory solo "Thou shalt break them." The bass
solos were partly rendered by Signor Foil, and partly
by Mr. Santley. To the former was allotted the
wondrously suggestive air "The people that walked
in darkness," which was given with good effect.
Mr. Santley gained much deserved applause by his
rendering of the demonstrative air "Why do the
nations " ; the solo "The trumpet shall sound,"
having been assigned to the same artist in associa-
tion with Mr. M'Grath, the; obligato trumpet ac-
companiment. The chorus-singing generally bore
out the good results promised by Friday's rehearsal-
-it was bright in tone, ready in attack, and
marvellously steady in execution, considering the
vast number of voices and the immense space of
the building. The efficient rendering of some of
the florid passages—such as those in the choruses
"And He shall purify," "For unto us," and
"All we like sheep"—was truly surprising under
the conditions just alluded to. And here fresh
testimony is due to Mr. Manna for the rare ability
which he has displayed in his exercise—for the first
time at performances on so gigantic a scale—of a most
arduous office undertaken at very short notice. The
success of the opening day of the Festival could
scarcely have been exceeded.

Mr. Willing fulfilled the functions of accompanist
at the organ, which are allotted to him for the whole
festival.

The Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the Duchess
of Albany, and the Prince and Princess of Saxe.
Meiningen were present at Monday's performance.

The Times says :—The first day of the eighth
triennial Handel Festival at Sydenham was in every
sense worthy of the traditions of this great national
gathering. From an early hour visitors and per-
formers began pouring into the Crystal Palace, and as
train after train landed its load of human beings on
the various platforms it became apparent that, as re-
gards numbers, the present meeting would be equal if
not superior to its predecessors—an impression which
we have every reason to believe the official statistics
will confirm. When Mr. Manna raised his baton the
trans,pt of the Crystal Palace showed a vast sea of
human heads, and when later on, to the sounds of the
"Hallelujah" chorus, the audience rose to their feet,
a mote impressive spectacle could not have been pre-
sented. No wonder that great composers and other
foreigners have testified to the impressiveness of asight
to be equalled nowhere else in Europe. The national
significance of that sight is enhanced by the reflection
that chorus and audience contain representatives
of almost all classes of society, from members of
the Royal Family, seated in a special box
erected for the purpose, downwards. It would be
difficult to imagine such a meeting of Englishmen and,
Englishwomen assembled for any other artistic pur-
pose than that of doing honour to the genius of the
composer who before all others has taken hold of the
hearts of the nation, the reason no doubt being that
Handel's music, and more especially the Messiah,
appeals to, and is by tradition interwoven with, the
strongest of all human instincts, the religious. It is
as the great musical epic of the Christian faith, and
not as a mere emanation of individual genius, that the
Messiah has gained among Us the unique position which
it will continue to hold in spite of the changes of
taste.

The Daily Telegragh, in a notice of the perform ance
says : Here were 4,000 performers, drawn from all
parts of the country, placed under a conductor strange
to mot of them, and set to work without rehearsal,
yet the result was almost faultless. The vast mass
moved with well•nigh perfect precision, took up ever,
point with accuracy, and proved as unanimous in ex-
pression as though there had been weeks of rehearsal.
What this says for the theme we need not repeat, but
it speaks for the executants that which calls for frank
acknowledgment. In plain terms, the Festival band
and chorus did noble work yesterday afternoon, and
made Englishmen proud of the musical resources of
their country.
There are in the orchestra no fewer than four hun-
dred and forty-one instruments, not counting the giant
organ at which Mr. Willing ably presides. Of this
number ninety-five are first violins, ninety-two are
second violins, fifty-six are violas, eixty.four are
violoncellos, and fifty are double basses, making a
grand total of 357 strings. To these must be added
six piccolos, eight flutes, eight oboes, eight bassoons,
two double bassoons, six trumpets, six cornets, twelve
horns, nine trombones, three ophiclaides, and eight
drums of various kinds, in all eight-four instruments of
wind and percussion. As may be supposed, many,
of the performers upon the " strings " are ama-
teurs from various parts of the country, and
drawn from divers classes of society. Amongst them,
for example, are six army officers, including five
colonels, four doctors in art or science, and at least one
clergyman. As for the chorus, the figures are so large
that a well inured professor of statistics is required to
classify them. Enough that the sopranos alone num-
ber 722, and that the other " voices " arejn propor-
tion; while every county in England, and almost
every town of any importance, have sent recruits to
the ranks. But even more noticeable than the size is
the quality of this mighty orchestra. The instruments
are well balanced ; while from the sections of the
chorus it is hard to pick one that all the rest do not
equal in excellence.