The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-02-15 00:00:00

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GRAND JUVENILE CONCERT

A grand juvenile concert consisting of 100
performers was given at the Corn Exchange, on
Monday evening last, undi-r the patronage of
F. Evers, Esq., J.P., H. Billiugham, Esq., and
the Revs. D. Maginnis, D. Jones, R. Key worth,
L. Harris, and A. C. Beviugton. This concert
is the first of the kind that has ever been given
in the Corn Exchange in this town; but if we
are to judge front the applause with which the
, announcement was met that there would be
another one of a similar kind shortly, it will be
the forerunner of many others. We think the
appearance of the children (the girls being all
dressed in white with white gloves and with
wreaths on theit heads, and the boys having
white waistcoats ties and gloves) formed one of
the most interesting sights we have ever had the
pleasure of witnessing ; and we think it is very
few who could have watched their fair young
faces and listened to their sweet fresh voices,
now swelling in harmony, and now falling in
cadences soft and low on the ear as some single
voice took up the strain, without feeling a thrill
of delight pass through their frames, and the
softening influence of religion exerting its power
over them. The proceedings were opened by a
voluntary on the harmonium played by Mr.
Pearce. A great variety of hymns were then
sung to very pretty tunes, in excellent time, by
the children ; anthems being sung at intervals.
To give variety to the singing, parts of s,veral
of the hymns were given us duets and triow, and
these especially seemed to find favour with the
audience. "Outside the gate," a beautifully
pathetic hymn w 3 sung, as a solo, very nicely,
by one of the little girls, and she was loudly
encored; but Mr. Billingharn, the chairman,
very properly told the audience that it would
have been cruelty to ask her to repeat it, and
;hey, were, therefore, compelled to do without a
repetition of the performance. We may here
mention that tin-re were several pieces ,n,-e ,1
doting the evenbig ; hilt in only one instance was
it responded to, on accon-it of the great length of
the programme. Towards the conclusion of the
entertainment Mr. Platt moved a vote of thanks
to Mr. Pearce, for presiding at the hartnonintn,
to Mr. Allport, for acting as conductor, and to
the children for the excellent manner in which
they had sung the various pieces during the
evening ; and expressed the pleasure he felt at
being present. Ile thought the present a step
itt the right direction, and considered there Was
great credit due to those who had collected so
many children together, and trained them to
sing so well in unison. For his own part, he
derived much more pleasure from an entertain-
ment like that, than he wonld have done from
being prceent at a concert where sonic very
',lever people sang the same songs, and did the
sonic things over again as they hal, perhaps,
done on one hundred previous occaeions. His
knowledge of tnasic was very limited, or he
would have classified them under their various
heads of trebles, contraltos, and basses ; but he
most heertily moved a vote of thanks to all of
them—the choir, the children, Mr. Pearce, and
Mr. Allport. This was seconded by Mr. Lowe,
cod carried unanimously. Mr. Stringer pro-
posed a vote of thanks to Mrs. Bevington, for
her getting rip find management of the affair,
and complimented that lady on the success
which invariably resulted in anything which she
undertook. This was seconded by Mr. Jordan,
and carried nem. eau. Mr. Taylor proposed a
vote of thanks to the chairman; which Was
seconded by Mr. Norris, and carried. Mr.
Billingliam responded, and thanked those pre-
sent for the very hearty manner in which the
vote of thanks had been responded to by them.
He never recollected experiencing so much
pleasure and gratitude from presiding at any
meeting as he did on that occasion. He sup-
posed this was owing to his great love for sacred
song; and the manner in which it had been
rendered th it evening most certainly enhanced
hie ple tsare. In conclusion, he announced that
another concert of a similar description to that
would be given shortly. A vote of thanks was
passed to the patrons, and the proceedings
terminated with the singing of a new National
Anthem.