The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-03-08 00:00:00

I

"THE MESSIAH."

The event of the week in Weymouth has been the
grand performance, at the Burdon Hotel Assembly
Rooms, of Handel's Messiah, by a band and chorus
numbering 140, and under the presidency of the
Mayer, Mr. R.. N. Howard. The chorus being com-
posed of amateur vocalists from the town and neigh-
bourhood, and the band including professionals and
amateurs, considerable interest was excited, and,
although the room is about the largest in the town,
the proportion of the reserved seats had to be greatly
enlarged,so many were the applications for tickets. Even
this failed to meet the demand, for large parties who pro-
ceeded to the room about an hour before the performance
commenced found they could not be admitted, unless
previously provided with tickets, and it is estimated
that 300 or 400 were thus disappointed, though having
their money in their hands. The reserved ticket
holders were admitted through the front entrance of
the hotel, obliging committee men making the arrange-
ments ; and, although it had been intended to nom-
comence punctually at 7.45., so large was the number
of people to be seated that it was practically impos-
sible to begin till about a quarter-of-an-hour later. The
"house" then was such a sight in itself as is seldom
seen in Weymouth, the reserved seats being filled with
theleading inhabitants,tbeladies in the height of fashion,
while the sea of faces extended to the extreme limits of
the large room, the "shilling" places being obviously
quite insufficient. Facing them were a band and choir,
the sight of which recalled the palmiest days of the
Vocal and Orchestral Associations, the gathering of
so Ism a number of well-trained musicians auguring
well for the revival in permanency of these musical
gatherings, if well manage 1, and directed to objects as
worthy as that nf Tuesday night Among those present
were—R N. Howard, Esq. (Mayor of Weymouth),
Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Aldridge, Mr. Bowen, Mrs. Coles,
Mr. Wemyr,l4th Regiment, Lieut. H. T. George, Mrs.
and Misses Curphy, Mrs. and Miss Drew, Mr. Pelly
Hooper and party, Mrs. and Miss Warner, Mrs., Mr.,
and -Mims Stuckey Wood, Miss de Winton, Dr. and
Mrs. Moorhead. Dr. and Mrs. Tizard, Mrs. Do 'ding-
ton and party, Mrs.. Mr., and Miss Lithgow, Captain
Burnett, Mrs. J. Y. Thompson, Miss Currie. Mrs.
Costabadie and party, Dr. and the Misses Smith, Mr.
and Mrs. Robertson, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, Miss
Gublrins, Ms. E. M. Cole and Mrs. Cole, Mr. and
Miss Church, Mrs. and Miss Dawe, Mr. and Mrs. C.
Mercer, Mr. and Mrs. Deveniab, Rev. F. Foster, Mr.
R. if. Eliot, Mrs. and the Misses Eliot, Colonel and Mrs.
O'Donnell, Miss Cockburn and party, Misses Wallis,
Mrs. and Miss Hatchard, Mr. J., Mn,, and the
Mimes Grovel, Captain and Kra Clarke, Be".
Colonel, Mrs., and Mime Reott, Rev. J. and
Mrs. Mier, Mrs. Powell. the Misses Stephenson,
Mrs. and the Miser Bette, Mimes Bug._ 13ansel,
Hon. Mrs. Best and party, Colonel. Mrs., and Miss
St. Leger. Mrs. J. M. Bridge, Mr. and Mrs. W.
Talbot, Mho Penny, Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Wriet, Mr.
and Mrs. G. Eliot, Mrs. Egerton and partv, r- and
Mrs. Barnes, Mks Payne, Mr. and Mrs. W. H.
Russell, Mrs. and the , MIAs Pace,
Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, Mr. andre&arthr B. Venter,
Mn- Parr. Mrs- Miller, Mies Carter, Miss Randall,
Mr. J. G.. Mrs., and the Misses Rowe, Dr. and Mrs.
Maclean and party, Mrs. Powell, Rev. J. B. Palmer,
Mr. Ackland, the Mimes Hanniford, Mr. and Mrs.
Terry, Mr. and Mrs. Lyall, Mr. and Mrs. C. Gigot,
Lied. and Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Chance and party, Mr.
G. B. Welderd, Mr. and Mrs. C. Holland and party,
an, to. But these are only some of the occupants of
the reserved seats, and it would be too great a task to
give the whole, foe shout 200 half-omm tiekete were
sold before the moist oommeaced.