The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-06 00:00:00

BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

(MOM 001 OWN CONSUNINONDINT.)
BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY, Barr. 5.
Though the festival has not yet begun— (the first
performance takes place to-morrow morning)—a
few words respecting preliminary matters may hays
some interest for our musical readers.

The prospects of success are satisfactory to the
most sanguine well-withers to this, the greatest of all
our English music-meetings. The numbers of appli-
cations received on Saturday but from the public,
for secured places et the morning and evening per-
formances on Thursday and Friday next, as com-
pared with the applications for the corresponding
performances at the last festival in 1861, show a
very remarkable result. In 1861 they amounted to
2,950; at present they amount to 3,906—an in-
crease of almost a thousand places. This is only a
specimen of what may be looked for on the other
mornings and evening; and a still more satis-
factory indication of success lies in the fact
(which I take from a Birmingham paper),
that the festival committee have already
lodged 8,0001. with their bankers. The Birming-
ham Festival has been held every three years for
a whole century ; and, during this period there has
not been a single instance ia_gkinh it has failed to
accomplish its beneficent object—the sole support
of the Birmingham General Hospital, one of the
greatest and most valuable charitable institutions in
the United Kingdom. The only varieties in the
results have been in the degrees of their amount ;
those degrees having proceeded in a constantly
ascending scale from the first year to the last, and, in
short, it may be truly said that, excepting only in the
ever memorable Commemorations of Handel, music
has never displayed its powers as an agent in the
cause of benevolence as in the Birmingham Triennial
Festivals. A principal cause of this constant
and unfailing success is certainly to be
found in their wise and energetic adminis-
tration. It is to be found in the multitude
of great works which owe their existence to the
Birmingham Festival ; to the engagement of
the greatest artists who have flourished in
Europe during the last hundred years ; to the just
and liberal spirit that has ever been manifested in
their management; to the completeness with which
every plan has been uniformly carried into effect,
down to its minutest detail. Everything is pro-
vided for long beforehand, so that there is never
any hurry, delay, or disappointment. Even in the
preparation of the books, and in the other means of
giving the public information respecting the enter-
tainments they have to expect, similar care and
forethought are bestowed. It has, for example,
been for many years the custom, in addition to the
ordinary hooka of the performance, to circulate ex-
tensively a volume, drawn up for each meeting,
full of information respecting the history of the
festival ; the composers whose works have been
produced, and the performers who have appeared
at its concerts ; the most noted individuals who
have taken part in its management ; and other
particulars interesting to the public. Of these
books, that for the present festival is the most re-
markable. Its title is "The Birmingham General
Hospital and Triennial Musical Festivals. It has
no small literary merit, and the information and
entertainment which it contains make it worthy of
a permanent place in the library of every lover of
music.

All the vocal and instrumental performers an-
nounced as being engaged have made their appear-
ance at the general muster in the town hall this
morning, with (as far as I can learn) the single
exception of Mario, whose state of health has pre-
vented his appearance. Mr. Oliver Mason, the
chairman of the committee, has just received from
him a letter, a translation of which I quote, as a
characteristic spmimen of this great artist's genuine
modesty :—" Villa Salviati, Florence, August 30.
I am much grieved, my dear Mr. Mason,
that my bad health prevents me from setting out
in time to arrive at the festival, in which it is an
honour for an artist to take a part. But I console
myself by considering that the saving for the poor
will be well worth an old singer the less." I believe
the pifblic will not take Mario's value at his own
humble estimate. His name stands in the pro-
grammes of several of the concerts, associated with
some of his moat exquisite morceaux ; and when he .
ceases toeing them we shall not hear their like again.
But his absence can only be lamented ; the reason
he gives for it is only too good.
The vocal and instrumental host who mustered
this morning are the following :—Principal singers :
Titiens, Madame Ruda:adore', Madame
Lemreens-Sherrington, Mille. Adelina Patti,
Madame Sainton-Dolby, Miss Palmer, Mr. Sims
Reeves, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Bentley, and Mr.
Weiss. Solo instrumentalist*: Madame Arabella
Goddard, pianoforte, and IL Blanton, violin.
Organist : Mr. Sampson. The instrumental band
and chorus are of the same strength and quality as
usual at these festivals. And (I need scarcely add)
the baton of command is wielded by Costa.
This day has been spent in a general rehearsal,
which began at ten in the morning, and at
the hour at which I write is still going on.
Costa's new oratorio, Naattion, the great
feature of the festival, has been rehearsed with the
utmost care, and with an effect which has given
assurance of a triumphant BUCCeII3 on Wednesday.
The singers who took put in it, Mdlle. Adelina Patti,
Madame Rnderadorfl, Madame Beinton-Dolby, Mies
Palmer, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Bentley, and Mr.
Ca mings—exerted themselves evidently with their
whole hearts, and the band and chorus displayed as
much zeal as ability. At the conclusion of the final
chorus the hall rang with cheers, and the waestro
was warmly congratulated upon a gnomes which was
justly regarded as certain.
The festival begins to-morrow morning with St.
Paul, in which the principal parts will be sustained
by Mdlle. Titiens, Madame Lemmens-Sherrington,
Madame Sainton-Dolby, Mr. Sims Reeves, and
Mr. Weiss. At the concert in the evening Mr.
Henry Smart's new dramatic cantata, Tie Bride of
Duukerron, will be produced, and Mendebeohn's
Concerto in D minor will be played by Arabella
Goddard.

MISS Vlol'ollll BALM—The Orchestra Mates
that this lady, who was formerly kDown as Lady Crampton,
will in • fortnight "espouse a grandee of Spain, who unites
with his title of duke and a Imp fortune the best quailss
of head sod heart." _ _

--•
CRYSTAL PALACL —TONIC SOL-TA ASSOCIATION.—
The choral festival of five thousand voices given last
Wednesday, notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the
weather, attracted Dearly 25,000 people to the Palace. Is
consequence of its great success, the director requested the
committee of the association to repeat the performance on
Saturday, September 10, at 3 o'clock p.m., sad this was at
once agreed to. The directors have agreed that all tickets
out on sale for August 31 shall be available on nest Satur-
day, and in addition to this all friends of the association
may parches* tickets at the shilling rates (or including rail-
way one shilling and sixpeaos), though Saturday is • half.
crowo day. By this arrangement many MOMS who have
half-holidays on Saturdays, but ere generally disinclined to
visit the Palace is consequent* of the detrain of &dinned=
on those days. will have as opportunity not only of enjoy•
jag the beautiful grounds which ere now is the moat
luxuriant beauty, but also of hearing prime very good
staging of the Tonic Sol fa Clionlists. Tickets at the
reduced rates may be obtained of the various teachers and
members of the choir, the principal musiomllere, and the
" Tank 801-fa streeey,"43, Pateroater.row.
SINOTILAIL O.XURRZNCL —The danger of inter-
posing in gyarrele receleed • painful illustration in New-
castle on y. Rearing a disturb's°, between •
brother and a enter is an adjoining been, a married won**
named Wynn, residing is Pilgrimotrest, proceeded to the
spot, and wee mist her endeavours to separate the com-
batant., when she susidesly dropped down, life being found
to be quite extinct. On the body of the deceased no marks
of violence have been discovered, sad it remains for the
Inquest to sea what light will be thrown the somewhat
suspicious and mystersoas affair. Two mem, the leading
movers in tie unfortunate domestic brawl, have is the
meanwhile been taken into custody.—Neweastre Chronicle.
HORNIMAN'S TeL is choice and strotw, mode-
rate la mice, red wholesome to me. There advaMsses have
seemed for this tea a general preference. It resold In pockets by
SAlN.apote.—(Advertlsestsst.