The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-07-06 00:00:00

THE BOSTON MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

s-1-1;nl1tl

popular
formaance.

The Boston Musical Festival, if we may judge from
the reports in the American papers, appears to have
commenced in a satisfactory manner, and with every
pounce that the series of performances would be at-
tended with complete success. The Boston Advertiser
draws special attention to the fact that on the opening
day every engagement of the promoters was faithfully
kept. Yet, an it adds, the programme required
'the services of musicians from at least three
countries of Europe, who had left their homes and
crossed the seas expressly to sing, and play, and
condoct at this Jubilee ; it depleted the theatrical
orchestras of half the cities in America; it included
a band in the service of I he Government of the United
Statee, and a score of other bands from the cities and
towns of New England , it brought into requisition
twenty thousand voices from all parts of the camtry."
Notwithstanding thew circumstances, not a single per-
son whose presence was essential faded to appear at
his post. This, the Boston Advertiser thinks, was in
itself a triumph entitling the management to most
hearty praise.
It is admitted that there were some shortcomings in
the music, but at the same time it is affirmed that there
was no abmlute failure, and, considering the difficulties
to be overcome, the first performance is considered to
have been creditable. The audience evidently enjoyed
it heartily, and displayed great enthusiasm throughout.
The conductors, we are told, "were received by their
subjects of the chorus and orchestra with as hearty
loyalty as if they were veritable sovereigns," and from
the audience there came as the performers acquitted
themselves of their tasks, earnest and prolonged
applause. It was found that the solo singers could
is heard in every part of the immense building, and
the piano, which it was supposed would be inau-
dible at a little distance, agreeably disappointed

everybody by its power. At the first concert me pro.
ceedings commenced at three o'clock in the afternoon
with prayer; then came a short speech from the Mayor
of the city. This woo followed by an eloquent ad-
dress from General Banks, delivered in a deep resonont
tone, and with much energy, but which, nevertheless,
was imperfectly heard, owing to the immense dimen-
sions of the building. The concert then began with
the " Old Hundred," followed by a well-selected pro-
gramme of eacred and secular music ; that day's con-
cert terminating with the hymn—" Nearer my God, to
Thee," the first verse, by" Bouquet of Artiste ; " the
second by the full chorus; the remaining stanzas by all
voices and instruments, the audience joining.
The band of the Grenadier Guards arrived in Boston
at half-past five o'clock in the morning of the day on
which the first conc. ri took place. If slf limit five is
early, lint for more than an hoorloreviously, ore
told, a crowd had been awaiting the arrivsl of the men
at the railway station. No tiine was, however, lost
in formalities or demonstrations. The band was at
once marched off to breakfast. "At the conclusion of
the meal," says the paper already quoted, "uniforms
were donned, and escorted by the Roxbury Horse
Guard and the Independent Boston Fusiliers, the
march was taken up to the Common, the band
receiving a perfect ovation all the way. l'nfor-
tunately, however, there was no police escort, and
as the band paseed down some of the streets
playing "The British Grenadiqrs,' the crowd RO
pressed upon them, that they were separated from
their escort, and had but a few countrymen to bear
them company and keep off, As beat they could, the
altogether too friendly advances of their admirers. It
should be stated that it was Queen Victoria's express
desire that the band should play in public on its arrival
here, out of compliment to the American people; and
alth.sigh it was the wish of the parties interested in
the Jubilee that the music should only be given in the
C 3liseum, yet, when the case was fully represented to
them, they yielded the point; and the hearts of
thousands of persons, who probably would not have
otherwise listened to the magnificently rendered
- tunes, were consequently cheered by the per-

Mr. Godfrey is said to be very plesaed with his visit
to the United States, and is especially gratified by the
reception the band has met with, which was far more
enthusiaatic than he appears to have expected.

The New York papers to the 19th ult., contain full
particuUni of the appearance of the British band
the second day of the Boston Musical Festival. The
New York Herald says :

There were many high features on tc-day's programme,
some grind choruses, a few orchestral pieces, and the Mat
appearance of the British Grenadier Guards, under Dan God-
frey. The last embraces all that will be remembered about
the second. or English, day of the great Bodon musical
glorification. Every one who left the Coliseum this evening
came away, ruff with the idea that they had heard only Godfrey,
Five times this bearskin-hatted baud attempted to escape
encores, and five times the frantic audience called them hack.
The reception of the English baud was something to be remem-
bered for ever, and yet the enthusiasm was but a faint idea
of that which followed. The pieces played by this matchless
body of artists commenced with a work by Godfrey. written
in rather a severe classic style The band opened the eyes
and ears of the audience to a new and unexpected world of
music. There was an entire absence of that disagreeable
hardiness of tone which seems to be irrepressible in an
American brass band. Cornets soft as flutes, clarionets sym-
pathetic and n0e1,,, ions as the violin of Ole Bull, the basses
thrilling with expression and velvety richness, and over all a
precision and equality of sentiment, a oneness of idea and an
enßemble so complete and to perfect as to appear phenomenal
—these made Godfrey's band the lion of the day At the
end of the fantasia occurs a long intricate figure in the bass,
which was rendered with a suremes and evenness that would
have almost paraiyeed the legs of any pedal Huger organist
that ever existed. The effect was indescribable—so hat-
m,nious, so soft, so full of expression, and in fine so
artidic. A hurricane of applause followed, and when the
band next played the overture to Der Priexelittrz, a still
greater success awaited them. The 1,111 spoke of the
English National Anthetn, "God save the Queen," solo,
the third verse, by Madame Erminia Rudersalorff, with
full chorus, band of the Grenadith Guards, organ, orches-
tral, military band, and cannon accompaniment. What
a mountain, but what a small mouse ! Some fiendish Fenian,
envious of British glory, was at the organ, we believe, and
made a charge on chorus, orchestra ar d conductor, like an
old-fashioned Stonewall Jackson's flank movement, and
knocked the British " National Anthem " into " pye "
exthse printers' language. The entire thing became chaos,
and resembled more the stampede of the 11th Corps
at Chancellorsville than a well-ordered body of muss.
clans. Madame Rudersdorff shared in the panic,
arid gave forth the words and notes of the 3rd verse
like a dyspeptic automaton. She made an absolute fiasco
on the occasion. Then to retrieve the honour of his country
Dan Godfrey mounted the dizzy heights of the rostrum and
repented the Anthem witli his own incomparable band. The
result of the battle was riot lost, notwithstanding the pre-
ceding stampede, and the redcoats fought bravely. May they
be 50011 deCUrated, and may their shadows never grow less
A Dorn Manus ene4re brouaht inl,mitable Dail Godfrey again
I.' the fore. This time he respoudeo with the "Star Spangled
Banner. shore came in the artillery accompaniment. At
this moment a general saturnalia was inaugurated. Every
man, woman, and child ar.se in a limly, n 1 only in the
audience, but on the stage, and acted as if each individual
was demented. A couple more encores brought this e •tha-
ordinary scene sea close, thiifrey and his band has so far
reaped all the musical honours of the Jubilee.

In a leading article, the New York licralel writes in
ridicule of the Jubilee with touch good-humoured
exaggeration:—
" rho inhabitants of Boston," it says, " were yesterday
startled by the Brat Moat of Gihnore's big drum, but,
so tar as ac-aunts have reached us, no serious damage
was caused by the storm of 110111111 that swept over the
city. Fortunately, due notice had been given, and
all the nervous people had taken the precaution of
going to the sea-side in order to escape the come-
quew 'en which might have rdsulted to the oelicatAy omstl-
tuted from a musical ch. indeed, none of the catastrophes
which were predicted ..ave c to pass, and the old huh,
which was expected to tremble to its foundations, by the
latest accounts has not moved an inch. lint the moral re-
volution that has been brought about in the manners and
habits of the usually quiet awl respectable Bostonians must
be ranked among the strangest phenomena of our times."