The Express.
London, England, 1855-03-07 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY.

ADMIRALTY, MARCH 6.—APPOINTMENT3.—ABSiBt-
ant-Surgeon H. H. Smith (1848), M.L. to the Pembroke,
60, screw steam ship, at Portsmouth.
Clerk A. Searob:er (1851), to the Cornwallis, 60, screw
'steamship, at Devooport.
Acting Assistant-Surgeon J. King, to the Cornwallis.

A surveying party is at present employed in sur-
veying the ground of Green Hill, immediately to the north
of the field battery gun park, at the west end of the Ar-
tillery barracks, Woolwich, it being intended to construct
barracks on that fine situation for the accommodation of
1,000 men and SOO homes. The volunteer screw steam
vessel ht a arrived at the Royal Arsenal, to take on board
portion of the gun-carriages of the 32-pounder field battery,
for conveyance to the Crimea. Captain Ward's company,
3rd battalion, with the horses of the right wing of the
32-pounder field battery, embark is the Indians, and Capt.
Smyth's company, 6th battalion, the left wing, embark on
board the -Etas, both screw steamers, at Liverpool.

PORTSMOUTH, Melton 6.
The sick and wounded brought home by the steam-
ship Arabia, were lanchd to-day and forwarded on to
Chatham by train. The Arabia is now taking coals on
board, after ddinit which she will sail for Liverpool.
The CICIMI, steam transport, comes into harbour to-
' morrow morning to lend the sick and wounded troops and
women and children she has brought home.
The Arrogant, 46, screw frigdte, and the Falcon, 16,
screw sloop. having completed their fit out for the Baltic,
have gone oat of harbour to-day and anchored at Spithead.
The Oberon, 3, steamer, sailed to-day for the Mediterra-
nean, with supernumeraries fur the ships in the Black Sea.
The Gorgon, G, paddle-sloop, returned to Spithead to-day
from the eastward.

PLYMOUTH, MARcit G.
The Colossus, 80 gun screw steam ship, Captain
R. S. Rubinson, arrived here yesterday from the North
American and West Indian station. She came inside the
breakwater at daybreak and saluted the flag of Admiral Sir
W. Parker, the commander-in-chief, at sun-rise. She is
expected to come into harbour to refit fur service. The
Centurion is being fitted with all possible speed.

MUSIC.

SIR HENRY BISHOP'S CONCERTS.

' Mr. Mitchell, of Bond-street, has commenced, at
the Hanover-square Rooms, a series of vocal concerts,
consisting of giver, quartets, and concerted music, selected
entirely from the numerous works of Sir Relay Bishop.
They are called "Afternoon Concerts," a much more
rational appellation than that of " Morning Concerts,"
which it is the fashion to bestow on entertainments com-
mencing at two or three o'clock, and (in winter) frequently
coatinuing till sunset. The first of these concerts was
given yesterday afternoon. It began at half-past three,
sad ended before live—a most judicious arrangement;
for a performance wholly vocal, and of a ho-
mogeneous character, however admirable end de-
lightful it may be, ought to be in a smaller com-
pass thanavaied concert of vocal and instrumental music.
It would be paying a small compliment to the knowledge
end taste of our musical readers, were we to enter into a
panegyric on the character of Sir Henry Bishop. He is one
of the most illustrious of English musicians. Indeed, when
we glance backwards et the history of the art in this coun-
try, we can find but one name which we would place &note
that of Bishop. That name, we need hardly say, is the
immortal Henry Purcell. The name which, after Purcell's,
fills the largest space in the annals of English music, is that
of Arne ; and it cannot assuredly be said that Arne has ex-
celled Bishop either in genius, learning, fruitful-
ness, or influence on the state and progress of the
art. During a long course of years the dramatic
works of Bishop enjoyed an unbounded popularity. They
were the favourite entertainments of every theatre, metro-
politan or provincial, which was capable of performing
them ; it was in them that our most accomplished singers
achieved their greatest triumphs ; and their beautiful airs
and concerted pieces were on every 1 ady 's piano, and de-
lighted every social and domestic circle throughout the
kingdom. If all this is no longer the case, it is owing to a
change fa the state of our musical stage—or rather to the
• decay and extinction of our musical stage. In the days when
Bishop flourished as a dramatic composer we had a musical
stage—now-a-days we bare none.
But Bishop's music, though no longer heard on the stage,
is not, nor is like to be, forgotten. His airs hold their place
in the affection' of the lovers of pore English melody ; and
his trios, quartets, and concerted pieces, are enjoyed
wherever vocal harmony is cultivated. There is not a glee
society in the British dominions in which the works
of Bishop are not mingled with those of the Webber, the
Cooker, the Stevenses, the Callcotts—the classics of former
days. And this will continue. This fine and truly English
species of music is regaining its ancient favour, and the
I beautiful compositions of Bishop, in the form of chamber
• music, will be more heard than ever.

audience,di
,Tt
ihnetnaecndedr concert
it of
sei a yesterdaypnlse a
and
dt afternoonitoov etrese
otfhme
numerousu attractedise v
eafraya largepeaonf
of the room. The voices were Masters Sullivan, Cooke,
Mabel), and Norman; Mews. Francis, Benson, Lawler,
Buckland, and Land ; Sir Henry Bishop himself accompa-
nying on the pianuforte. The selection was exceedingly in-
teresting, consisting of glees and dramatic concerted pieces,
composed at early periods of his career. Among them ways
Quartet " Breathe, my harp," composed for a ballet called
Care:dam, prod need at Drury-lane in 1808 ; and which (as be
tells en) was his first attempt at composition for the English
musical drama. There was likewise one of the most often-
live of his dramatic pieces, " Though be be now a grey,
grey friar," composed for the musical drama, Maid Martian,
produced with great success at Covent•garden in 1822. An-
other piece, a quartet and choral., " Toe Savoyard," intro-
duced in Sheridan Knowles's William Tell, was delightful
from its nationality and Alpine freshness. And there was,
moreover, the quartet, " Sleep, gentle lady," composed for
the factions opera, Clari, in which Min M. Tree made such
a sensation thirty years ago. These were the things which
especially struck U 9 j but there were others, scarcely infe-
rior in music. They were all admirably song, and rut ived
with the warmest expressions of pleasure, several of them
being loudly encored.

TUE LATE ESCAPE FROM NEWClATE.—Yesterday,
at the sitting of the Court of Aldermen, it was stated by
Alderman and Sheriff Muggeridge, that Brown and Berry,
two of the convicts who lately effected their escape from
Newgate, had been captured, and that the third—Bell alum
Spiers—was still at large. He also thought it right
to men-
tion, that neither Brown nor Berry bad 'been taken by the
police until immediately after a reward had been offered for
their apprebecsion. A reward had also been offered for the
appzehasioa of sell.