The Express.
London, England, 1865-06-27 00:00:00

[TWOPENC

total number of performers, including the instru-
mental band, exceeding four thonetad. In regard
to the principal vocalists, the novelty was the sub-
stitution of Mdlle. Adelina Patti for Mdlle.
Mena ; the others, Mr. Sims Reeves, Madams
Lemmens-Sherrington, Madams Sainton-Dolby,
Mr. Cummings, Mr. W and Mr. Santley, being
the same as before. Mr. es sang the o
recitative and air, "Comfort ye my people" and
"Every valley shall be exalted ;" the recitative and
air, "Thy rebuke" and "Behold and see If any
sorrow and the recitative and air, "He that
dwelleth " and " Thou shalt break them in pieces."
Madame Sherrington sang the series of pastoral
recitatives in the first part beginning "There were
shepherds feeding their flocks by night r the airs,
" Come unto Him " and " How beautiful are the
feet." Madame Sainton-Dolby sang "Behold, a
vitgin," and the airs, " 0 thou that tallest good
tidings," "He shall feed his flock," and "He was
despised and rejected of men." Mr. Weiss bad the
recitative and air, " For behold, darkness," and
" The people that walked ;" Mr. Bentley' Why
do the heathen," and "The trumpet shall sound
and Mdlle. Patti, "Rejoice greatly," and "I
know that my Redeemer liveth." The fair prima
donna, whose appearance as a Handelian singer
excited much interest, was extremely successful,
each of her airs being loudly applauded. In the
one she executed the florid peewee very brilliantly,
while she sang the other with the pure simplicity
belonging to its Chamfer. The manner in which
the other singers are accustomed to sustain their
parts in thin oratorio is well known to the public.
In regard to the choruses, we sever beard them
so grandly, eo sublimely sung. The efforts
made by the managers of the Festival to raise
choral singing to a pitch of excellence never realised
before have certainly been successful in a wonder-
ful degree. The care and judgment with which
this vast vocal army has been chosen, the ad-
mirable system of training so steadily and perse-
veringly adopted, and the spirit of ardour and
emulation with which they are animated, have
borne abundant fruit, and results have been ob-
tained which might well have been despaired of.
The choral effects obtained during the performanoes

of the last festival, three yowl ago, were
not comparable to those produced yesterday.
The great choruses, " For unto us a child is born,"
and the incomparable " Hallelujah," were not more
remarkable, as illustrations of the impression of
power produced by the full swell of human voices,
than " Behold the Lamb cf God " was the deep
and pathetic solemnity of their subdued breathing.
While we are ooavinced, however, that this per-
formance of these almost superhuman choruses
came nearer than had ever been done before to the
conceptions of their immortal author, we must add
that it still fell far short of perfection, and
that its very imperfections arose from the
magnitude of the attempt. The endeavour
to perform the music of Handel in the vast area of
the Crystal Palace, with an army of four thousand
voice., has created difficulties from which smaller
performances are free ; and though these difficul-
ties have been partly surmounted, yet others
remain, and are, we fear, unenrmountable. One
is a physical obstacle, which must exist in the
nature of things. Owing to the extent of the
orchestra, sounds proceeding from various parts of
it must travel different distances to the ear of the
auditor ; and, though emitted at the same instant,
must be heard by him at different times. It is
almost needless to illustrate so familiar a fact.
Sound travels comparatively slowly ; a clap of
thunder is heard after the flash has been men. For the
musical inconvenience arising from this cause there
is no remedy. So long as there is a great Hiutdel
orchestra, and a great central Man/kept, so long
must the evil remain. It may be borne with front
custom, but cannot be cured. Let the performance
be ever so perfect, a disturbance is created which
is quite preoeptible to the ear, and must ever be so.
This applies to choruses. With respect to solos,
the evil arising from extent of space, though it has
been much lessened, still exists. We all know bow
Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Bentley, Madame Dolby,
and Mdlle. Patti, are able to sing ; and therefore
we can say, without finding any fault with them,
that the singing of all of them yesterday was un-
satisfactory. Very often it was •ma• even to
those in good places ; and it was always weak and
ineffective, because it was deprived of distinct
articulation, emphasis, and the delicacies of grace
and expression. When The Messiah began, the fine
introductory symphony was unheard, nor was a note
uttered by Mr. Reeves audible till he came to " the
voice of Him that crieth in the wilderness." If he
and others were applauded (as they often were),
we have no hesitation in saying that it was because
the audience knew how they could sing, and how
they sang on other occasions. We do not know
whether this fault of the locality is capable of
further remedy. We rather fear that nothing less
than enclosing the whole area of the central transept
would 'answer the purpose ; but, considering the
inventive energy hitherto shown by the manage-
ment of the Festival, we have no doubt that all that
can be done will be done.
When the oratorio bad terminated, which was
not until past five o'clock, both audience and
artists became mixed into one common crowd,
who besieged all the welifurnisbed refreshment
tables with that hearty appetite which always ac-
companiee the true rehab for high art. When
they had satisfied themselves with all the good
things which Messrs. Bertram and Roberts had
abundantly provided for their entertainment
they sallied out like giants refreshed into
the gardens, and broke up into a complete
series of musical unions. Some took posses-
sion of the Rosary, others ranged themselves
along the edge of the great fountain ; and a third
troop hied them off to the greenwood at the lower
end of the gardens. In a very few moments the
evening air was filled with glees and choruses of
various kinds, all more or leas charming, and so
attractive did those improvised concerts prove, that
the long streams of people who were hurrying off
to catch the train forgot all about 6.50 or 7.40 as
the case might be, and scampered back in the di-
rection of the music, forming large black crowds all
over the gardens. We missed a couple of trains
ourselves with much satisfaction, and when at
last obliged to leave, the clear evening air was still
. I ringing with the rich harmony of the choristers.
it

DRAMA.

STRAND.

The French piece which gave us the Woma► of
Business at the Adolph' has beea again traaelsted for the
English .loge, and it was produced last night at the Stand
Theatre under the title of the Better Half. It serves way
well to play in the audiences who come to see the bariwga•
of Windsor Castic, hut it is heedly fair to the chief actors
to weapel theca to appear iD aberectere that hews been se
meetly repreeseted by lira Stirling and Mr. J. L. Toole.
The adapter is Ms. T. J. Williams

FORTHCOMING iormiTra.
Me. J. L. Toole amioulieseihet Me simnel benefit will take
plea" at the Adelphi on Thursday 'Teeing next, whey a new
demo WWI Fire and Weer will be produced. Miss
Haan Tiwey will take het fait benefit at the Olympia
Theatre ea Friday sink wham a sew dzama by Mx. Ton
Taylor, rolled tbe Serf; or, Loft Trio AU, will be per.
formed; sad as listaulay Mr. Basiassia Webdet will bike
kin aassal bosaai et *the Aielphi.

Eltszeret GAZIOVE.—We untieretaod the govern-
meet here o•cwii4 am the loused telked-ot par.
Woos of this ripest, for the eslargement et the Ishiatry
Bemehe. 11N. .g. etched, tM meet at the Rev. names
Oohs, eliesilei is the so Tway leak wed poi
the Wu& patios to quit their Midi'. et sh• end it
the perreet peer at their tesum,
_to the acoeterestioa at
Sluff Rom, oho bele tel co the property kag
peeled. eat 141 lose viiit peat. ehistoole.