The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-26 00:00:00

VIE .sTRATFORD IMAKESPEARILN
PIIBTIVAL.

• Irma ova amotax assaserosresse.)
ISTRAMPOitasede-AVON, MONDAY Aresenocur.
The acomitie esphibtiss of the pavilion have
bees fairly tried today, and the result is eminently
natiefaetory. The Menials, with a band and chorus
of 600 performer, led by Mr. Alfred Mellon, was
performed this afternoon, and the first words: of
"Comfort ye my people" convinced all present
Bias the room is as admirably adapted for bearing, as
it is elegant, commodious, and convenient Shortly
after the commencement of the oratorio a printed
paper was dint/dented, containing the regrets of the
committee at bassiag to announce that Madame
Ssiatou-Dolby would be prevented by "severe
indisposition" from singing, either in the Messiah
se at the concert of this evening. Madame Inure
(not Lonna, as erroseonsly stated) Baxter had, how-
ever consented to sing the whole of the music
elated to Madame Dolby, and as this lady is in
excellent voice, the audience assembled to bear the
oratorio suffered lees from Madame Dolby's
illness than was at one time feared. The coin-
inittee's announcement was handed round dar-
ing the that chorus, and as at this time
Madame Pampa had not appeared, there were
sot wanting anxious whisperings to the
steed that some unforeseen casualty had
deprived Stratford of her presence too. Madame
Baxter and Mr. Bentley were present Mr. Sims
Beeves had demonstrated in the most charming
way that he was in perfect health, but it was only
upon the red curtain to the left being put aside,
and Madame Pampa actually seating herself in the
chair allotted to her, that all doubts were solved,
and the attention fully concentrated upon the
music. The oratorio itself was admirably per-
formed. The artists sang their very best, whilst
the chorus—which had been carefully selected from
the Festival Choral Society and Amateur Har-
monic Society, Birmingham ; the Sacred Harmonic
Society, London ; the Festival Choral Society, Wor-
cester ; and from the Holy Trinity Church choir of
Stratford—played its part with as much purity as
comectuest lf, as we heard stated, many of the
people assembled now sang together for the first
time, and had not even bad the advantage of a
single rehearsal, the result was marvellous. So
distinct was Madame Parepa's articulation,
that not only every note, but every word,
was clearly heard at the most distant corners
of the vast room—how clearly will be best
understood by the fact of some of her hearers
expressing surprise at the purity of her English ac-
cent. Burk Mr. Sims Reeves and Mr. Sautley sang
as if determined to discharge their labour of love as
gracefully and perfectly as possible, while Mr.
Alfred Mellon wielded his conductor's baton iu the
way awl with the efficiency so pleasurably familiar
to Mr. Alfred Mellon's countless admirers. The
roam was not full, and as there was a little unne-
cessary reticence at the office of the committee as to
the number of tickets sold, it is impossible to state
positively tho numbers present this morning.
About three-fourths of the guinea reserved seats
were occupied • the half-guinea ones in the galleries
had a goodly ;how in front, though their tack
benches looked sparse and bare, whilst the unre-
served seats at five shillings seemed to have
been patronised with cautious moderation.
The audience was, however, quite numerous
enough to give the pavilion the furnished look,
without which mere beauty of proportion and ele-
puce of decimation are but as tinkling cymbals,
and though an assemblage which has paid heavily
for admission is proverbially less demonstrative
than genteel, there were not wanting many hearty
bursts of applause during the performance of to-
day.
Over and above the entertainments provided by
the Stratford committee, there are a variety of
more or less irregular and supplementary festivals
being celebrated in various parts of the town. The
Punch, whose domestic woes and fistic triumphs
have been a leading feature for several days past,
has now his dominion shared by one or two rivals.
There are as many mendicants in the streets
as if this were a French town, with an
English-freighted diligence always changin,g
horses therein. Groupe of halt, maimed, and
blind, are to he seen at every corner; you hear the
prefeeeioual whiue the instant you cross the thres-
d, it follows you in your walks, greets you on
your return, and morns to be bought off. More re-
prehensible still are the peripatetic tract-mongers
and textual-banner bearers, who vaunt their spi-
ritual wares with an obtrusiveness which would be
ludicrous if it were not shocking. Even the Vicar
of Stratford himself cannot walk after duty from the
parish church to his own door without some zealous
person forcing upon him an impertinent printed in-
quiet as to the state of his soul. This inci-
dent'we witnessed a few hours ago, and as boards
whereon the most sacred names are treated with
shacking familiarity are far too common in the
streets, it may be useful to inquire whether sum-
mary steps might not be taken to reduce the
average of spiritual vagrancy. At present it is too
high, and its profemors, lilts the pertinacious
whiner, before mentioned, are, as Charles Lamb
said of poor relations, " Flies perpetually in the
ointment, Mordecai' ever in the gate." But to
plealauter themes. Bottom the weaver wished to
play the lion, so what can be a more appropriate
compliment to the memory of Bottom's great ori-
ginator than the advent of a wild beast show ?
This mowing the High-street was honoured by an
elaborate procession of vans and vehicles, the first
of which was drawn by a sufficiently ingenious
team. No Stratfordian said in Shakespearieu
language—

By the rows ! a camel !

on the appearance of this carriage, though it
was drawn by three of those patient looking quad-
rupeds, yoked tandem fashion, and driven by one
of the most intellectual and picturesque-looking
negrom we have ever seen. Iu his slouch brigand
hat and tiger skis wrap he looked like the hero of
one of Dumas' novels, and absorbed some of the
admiration which should properly have been con-
centrated upon the wearers of Shakespeare ribbons
and ssarfa, who were hurrying to and from the
ticket-office in the same street. Some connexion,
real or fancied, between Shakespeare and waxwork,
has induced the enterprising proprietor of the
effigies of *the five Flowery Land pirates to pitch
his tent here too, sad in the poster setting forth the
surpassing fidelity of these likenesses, and the
small price of admission to the caravan wherein
they are enshrined, it is stated that a fieure of
"the immortal bard,modelled from a photograph,"
may be witnessed at the same time, and without
extra charge. Os Monday Oinnett's Circus is
to •be here, and the redoubtable Mr. Thomas
King is to strike attitudes, exhibit the trophies
he bee won, and display the muscles and activity
which won him fame at Wadhurat a few months
ago. " Natbaa is heat" is the terse announcement
to be read in one of the shops, and from the
eon ligaity of amines velvet and tinsel garments in
the same window, the inference is that the Nathan
in question has, or hopes to have, some connexion
with the fancy dress ball to be held on Friday.
Here, too, are theoretic minstrels of Epsom Downs,
the familiar peep shows, and the hacknied dwarfs,
though it is right to add that the heterogeneous
assemblage is doe to some extent to the annual
Sttatford fair falling concurrently with the
Shakespeare week. The weather is as unexcep-
tionably lovely as ever, and the concert of this
seeming is exported to be as fully successful as
the oratorio of this atoning.

Tux Saixortritx Pxoniarriox ix PAzo.—
Tb. Debits of nistissday says .—" Th. Constitute:mid gives
its satire approval, wbish of • tnith doss DM astmiaki
to the Wanlar momma trbiek has ielsedisted the banquet
is bosom of dbaksipars We do sot awe to discuss the
farts Mimosa by Mat }soma] 7 we wRI srllli.gly woe ejt
it if it likes, MA • mesakeg 'assumed as exclusively Ms.
vary stay beams a priblisal .snug probibital by law, sad
argaeorato late • imalkstatioa dasperms to order ; but
this is a damper Mash mete °soar wt every seseling, of
wbadmer Nature mil whatever shataeler it way he, sad
tea Imes& MI Ml**, that the right sad Mr ally of •
umerstoeut is each awes is to repress and not to prevent.
Ws will add ass seen are its orea liftmen alms this la
amity always dm hist seem to adcipt.",

EWAN AND C 0.% lIIIN/LAI. LIZILADY, Barium
AND ANNIND_=TINNOINNALDNIWISk Sabooplises NAN AD*
OW. iy..,./astertisemiDAl