The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-02-21 00:00:00

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!" Open the heavens and ,send us relief ;" and
God's answer to his prayer in the words of the
youth, " Behold a little clued ariseth now from
the waters." The instrumental accompaniment
to this, representing the falling of rain, was a
remarkably fine performance. It at first com-
menced with the pattering of single drops, then
gradually gathered force and grew in inten-
sity, until it resembled the " roaring of many
aisds and the rushing of many waters." The
auditors expressed their appreciation by loudly
applaudiog the performance. The chorus,
" Thanks be to God," expressive of the joy of
the people at the sight of the rain brought the
first part of the oratorio to a close.
The second part having opened with an air,
"Hear ye, Israel !" and Elijah having denounced
I Ahab in a grand recitative, the Queen (Miss
I Lloyd) calls upon the people to "Seize. Elijah,
I for he is worthy to die." This was given with
' great effect; as was also the accompanying
chorus, "Woe to him, be shall perish." Then
follows the solo in which Elijah, cast down by
the fickleness and ingratitude of the people
for the benefit of whom he had worked miracles,
says," It is enough, 0 Lord ; now take away
my life," given with great dramatic power and
feeling by Mr. Lansmere ; after which came an
exquisitely pretty trio, admirably performed by
the Misses Allely and Miss Lloyd ; and they
were compelled to respond to the encore, which
was unanimously demanded. Miss Lloyd after-
wards received a hearty encore for her excellent
rendering of the ;delicious air, "0 rest in the
Lord," but did not respond to lit, on account
of the lateness of the hour. The only other
portion of the oratorio to which we can call site-
' chat attention was the grand chorus, " Then did
Elijah break forth like a fire," which was given
with a precision. energy, and power, which re-
flected the greatest credit alike on the singers,
instrumentalists, and conductor.
Mr. Lanniere, as Elijah, gave all his solos
with a majesty, fire, and dramatic power, which
stamped it at once as a performance of no ordi-
nary merit. Mr. Ford's clear tenor voice and
artistic vocalisation, won him many friends; the
singing of the Misses Allely and Miss Lloyd
being also very much admired. The choruses
were well sustained throughout; and when we
mention the fact that amongst the hand were
such performers as Messrs. Mathews and King
(flautists), and Messrs. Griffin and Turner (vb.
linists), whilst Mr. A. Simms presided at the
harmonium, we think it will be unnecessary for
us to say anything more to show that the instru-
mental portion of the entertainment was every-
thing that could be desired. Mr. S. Simms
conducted in his usu.d masterly manner, and the
whole concert, musically speaking, was a decided
success. Before closing our notice of it, how-
ever, we cannot but woke a few remarks on the
thinness of the attendance. When it is borne
in mind that the subject, Mendelssohn's "Elijah,"
is the very greatest work of one of the mightiest
musical geniuses that ever lived, and that Mr.
Simms, in addition to providing the best local
talent, had also spared no expense to secure
artistes of well-known ability to undertake the
solo parts, the scantiness of the audience was all
othe more inexplicable. Most certainly, if Mr.
Simms did not command success, he did every-
thing in his power to achieve it; and we are
afraid the inhabitants of Stourbridge must lie
under the imputation of not having a sufficient
appreciation of first-class music, Lor more of
them would have been present.

SHAXESPEEIAN READING AT THE UNION HALL.—
On Wednesday evening last, Mr. J. C. A. Scott
gave aj reading of the "Midsummer Night,s
Dream," at the above hall. There WAS a fair at-
tendance. Before commencing to read the above
play, Mr. Scott said that he had for some time
thought it would be a very desirable thing to
have a course of lectures delivered iu that hall
during the winter season. He skiild have preferred
to have had some after the manlier' t f those deliv-
ered by Lawson Tait, and other eminent profes-
sors,' but that was entirely out of the question. Mr.
Welch had delivered some very interesting lectures
there a short time ago, and he (Mr. Scott) should
have been very much pleased if he had been able
to prevail upon that gentleman to deliver a course
of lectures there of a similar nature; but he had
failed to do so. In default of any one taking the
matter up, he (the speaker) at first proposed to
give himself a series of lectures on English His-
tory and Literature; but as upon mature consid-
eration it was apparent that to do this it would be
necessary to give frequent readings, with a care-
ful analys is o the subject treated upon if any bene-
fit was to result therefrom, he ultimately adopted
its the best course the plan of giving readings from
the best English and continental authors. With
reference to what had been said in the bills about
devoting the surplus to the relief of the Bengal
Famine Fund, it certainly seemed like presump-
titn to talk about any surplus from an affair like
that, where the atililiSSitni tee was so very small;
but his real object in making that announcement
was to draw attention to a subject which was re-
garded with so much apathy by the people of this
neighbourhood that he was perfctly timased at it.
That was t..e Bengal Famine. But more attention
was now being given to it, and a relief fund had
been opened at the Mansion House. Mr. Scott
then proceeded with his reading, the piece selected
being Midstunmei Nights Dream, ' one of the
most charming, perhaps, of Shakespeare s lighter
anthers. The resolve thoroughly catered into the
spirit of the play, and, though there were a few
weak points in the reading, alr. Seott acquitted
himself of his task, on the whole, with excellent
effecet, and showed a keen appreciation of the
many beauties of the text.