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

BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

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BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY, SHPT. 8.
The concert of yesterday evening, if h did not*
present anything absolutely new, was one of the
finest ever given within our memory, either at Bir7.
mingham or anywhere eliie ; and nothing could
indicate more emphatically the vast progress in the
taste of the provincial public of England than the
quality of this concert, and its reception by the
vast audience who crowded the Town-hall. 'Those
'who remembered the kind of evening concerts given
at the very best of our music meetings (not except-
ing those of Birmingham), even within these
twenty years, could not but be struck
with the change. Instead of a jumble of the
fashionable opera airs of the last London season,
popular songs and ballads interspersed, perhaps,
with a familiar overture or two, by way of giving
the band something to do, we had, last night, a
aelection of the most refined and classical music,
unalloyed by a single bar of baser metal ; and this
entertainment, so severe and lofty in character,
kept alive the interest of the audience till mid-
night. The length of the concert, indeed, was its
only fault ; it was too heavy a demand on the at-
tention of the moat musical hearer.
The first part of the concert was composed of
the Lobge.sang (or Hymn of Praise) of Mendelsaohu.
This work, tt will be remembered, was composed
for the Leipzig Festival of 1840 on occasion of the
inauguration of the statue of Guttenburg, the in-
ventor of printing. In the same year, and within
a few months of its original production at Leipzig,
it was brought out at Birmingham, with an English
version of the words, and under the composer's
personal direction—one among many instances of
the energy with which the Birmingham Festivals
are conducted. Its success on that occasion, and
the popularity it has subsequently gained in this
country, are well known. It has become a
standing piece at the Sacred Harmonic
Society's concerts in Exeter-hall, where it is
given generally several times every season,
to the immense assemblages who frequent
those concerts. Hence it is almost as well known
as klijah, and even better known than St. Paul.
It is not, however, one of those things which would
seem calculated to gratify the general taste. It
derives no adventitious attraction from the interest
of a dramatic story, nor from that familiar melody
which catches the ear of the many. It is literally
what its title indicates—a hymn of praise and
thanksgiving ; this is the whole subject of a large
and complicated work. Its form is peculiar, and
invented by Mendelssohn himself. It is not
a vocal hymn accompanied with instruments ; but
a work in which voices and instruments are equally
employed in singing the power and goodnessof God.
The author designates it as a sinfonia-cantata. It
opens with an orchestral symphony in several move-
rant s—one of the largest and most fully developed
instrumental pieces extant—which passes into a
series of choruses, airs, and recitatives, in which
the powers of both orders of music are brought into
combination. There can be no doubt that
the idea of this combination was suggested to
Mendelssohn by Beethoven's famous choral
symphony ; but Mendelssohn has turned the
suggestion to a new and original account. The
performance of this work last night by the Bir-
mingham orchestra and chorus, with the solo vocal
parts sung by Madame Lemmens-Sherrington, Mass
Palmer, and Mr. Sims Reeves was perfection,
and its effect upon the audience maybe imagined.
Of the many beautiful pieces included in the
miscellaneous portion of the concert I can only
specify a few. The band played two of the finest
overtures—Weber's Ruler of the Spirits and Cheru-
bini's A nacreon. Madame Arabella Goddard, with
Mr. Ssintou, played Beethoven's Sonata in 0,
Op. 30. Though this, strictly speaking, is a piece
for the chamber, yet the performers filled
the hall with their rich volume of tone,
and the most delicate effects of the music
were distinctly heard. Mademoiselle Titian,' sang
the grand invocation to Hope, from Puielio ; Made-
moiselle Adelina Patti, the air, "Non mi dlr." from
Don Gieranni ; Madame Sainton-Dolby, the grand
scena, " Divinitrs du Styx," from Gluck's dictate ;
Mr. &Utley, the air, " 0 ruddier than the cherry,"
from Adis and Galatea ; and the lovely trio from the
same work, " The flocks shall leave the mountains,"
was sung by Madame Rudersdorff, Mr. Cummings,
and Mr. &tales,. I mention these pieces nearly at
random, for almost all the others were of equal
merit.
The performance of this morning was devoted to
the Messiah. The day on which this oratorio is
given is always held to be the great day of the fes-
tival. This morning, accordingly, the ball was as
crowded, I apprehend, I.b it could possibly be ; but
nevertheless there was HOY so great a difference in
its aspect from that of the previous mornings as I
have seen on other occasions. Yesterday the hall
looked as full during the performance of Natiman ;
and the day before, when St. Pau! was given, it
looked nearly so. It is only from the returns of the
numbers present that the difference will be made
apparent
The following was the distribution of the parts
among the principal singers. The whole of the
tenor, from begiuuing to end, was given to Mr.
Sims Reeves, and never since the days of Braham
bas it been so magnificently sustained. In the first
and second parte of the oratorio the soprano was as-
signed to Mdme. Lem mens-Sherrington ; iu the third
part, to Mdlle. Titiens. The contralto was divided
between Madame Sainton-Dolby and Mini Palmer ;
and the whole of the bass was given to Mr. Santley.
The arrangement was quite satisfactory ; all these
singers being the right persons in the right places.
The performance, in all respects, may well be called
perfect ; and probably the almost superhuman sub-
limity of this immortal work never was more fully
displayed.
The audience were profoundly still and atten
tive. The only encore called for was the air," I know
that my Redeemer heath," sung by Mdlle. Titiens,
and there was nothing to disturb the solemnity of
feeling which this divine work inspires. When the
chorus, "For unto rasa child is born," began, some
persons made a movement as if to stand ; but
this needless parade of devotion was not encou-
raged. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who sat in
the front of the president's gallery, did not move,
and the audience followed his example. The custom
of standing during the " Hallelujah " has been
banded down by tradition since the days of
George 111., by whom it was introduced ; and the
feeling created by that ineffable music justifies such
a deuionetratiou ; but it should never be carried
further.
Amongst the company were :—TneEarl of Lich-
field, president ; the Countess of Lichfield, the
Mayor of Birmingham and party, the Earl of
Yowls and party, Miss Moncrieff and party, the
HOD. and Rev. W. Begot, Lord Willoughby de
Broke, Dowager Lady de Broke and party , Lord
Lyttleton and party, the Dean of Lichfield, Lord
Wrottesley and party, Sir John Pakington, M.P.,
and party, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lady
Kordaunt and party, Mr. Gathorne Hardy, M.P.,
rs Gathorne Hardy, and party, Mr. John
Hardy, M.P., and party, Lady Hartopp, Lady
Walter Scott, and party, Mr. Newdegate, M.P.,
Mrs. Newdegate, and party, Mrs. Pepys and party,
Mr. C. M. Caldecott and party, Mr. W. D. Brom-
ley, Mr. W. S. Dugdale, Mrs. Dugdale and party,
the Lady Windsor and party, Lady Cave and party,
W. C. Alston, Esq., Mrs. Alston and party ; Lady
Somerville and party, Mr. Sampiem Ban-
bury, Mrs. Sampson Banbury ; Mr. and
Mrs. Dugdale and party, Lady Windsor and
party, Lady Cave and party, Lady Ward
and party, Lord and Lady Fielding, Lady
Mary Fielding and party, the Ladies Legge,
the Countess of Bradford and party, lion.
and Rev. John Bridgman, Mrs. Bridgeman
and party, the Countess Howe and party, Sir Geo.
Chetwynd, Bart., and party, Mr. Scholefield,
M.P., and party, Mr. Whitmore, EL P., Mrs.
Whitmore, and party, Mr. IL C. Wise and party,
Mrs. Wright Daniel and party, Mr. J. B. Percy
sod party, Mr. Commissioner Hill, Q.C., and
ply
The following were the receipts and attendance
this morning :—President and vice-presidents'
seats, at 21a. each, 452; receipts,l474l. 1.2 e. ; secured
nate, 21s. each, 1,7/3; receipts, 1,8611. 13e ;