The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-10 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 10, 1853.

MUSIC.

-4-
SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.

The performance of the Messiah, annually given
by this feciety before Christmas, took plain last evening•
There was an immense assemblage; and, had Ezeter•hall
been even more vast than A is, it still would have been
full; for we understand it was found necessary to atop the
sale of tickets long before the demand fur them had ceased,
and hundreds of applicants were disappoibted. Such is the
still growing influence of this mighty work on the public
mind in England.

On this occasion the society have done a thing for which
they are entitled to the thanks of the lovers of Handel,
They have issued a new edition of the words of the Missies,
with a preface, and a critical analysis of the work, from the
able and experienced pen of Mr. 0. A. Hectares. In the
preface Mr. Mufarrea gives a great deal of interesting in-
formation respecting the composition and original produc-
tion of this oratorio. Ho makes use of the evidence lately
brought forward by Mr. Townshend to show (contrary to
the belief lung entertained) that the Messiah had n
been performed in England before it was produced under
Handel's own direction in Dublin ; so that the Irish
I capital has the undoubted credit of having given
the first welcome to the master-work of Handeh
after the Goddess of Diener, then all powerful
here, had, in the words of Pope, "driven him to the Hi-
bernian shore." From the dates in Handel's handwriting
on the original score, it appears that the manuscript was
written in two-and-twenty days. We had always eon-
telved that these dates only indicate the time 6teuiaid in
the act of writing ; believing that Handel, according to the
practice of other great musicians, had mentally composed
and 'digested the work before proceeding to commit it to
paper. But Mr. Macfarren thinks that "the composition
was contemporaneous with the transcription," and
that the whole was ouceived and committed to
paper" within the few days we have mentioned.
He founds this opinion upon the circumstance that,
on the original score of Samson, the Oratorio which fol-
lowed the Messiah in the order of composition, the end of
the first part is dated by Handel only fifteen days after the
completion of the Messiah; a fact, says Mr. Mutant',
" which precludes the possibility of Handel's having had
the habit of spending any tune in the consideration of his
plan, or in t►e collection and arrangement of his ideas
before he wrote them down." But we confess ourselves
still unable to believe that Handel could have conceived,
composed, and written the most colossal musical work in
existence in the space of three weeks. Under any

circumstances it would seem incredible; but when
we consider that Handel must have been all the
while occupied with the preparations and arrange-
ments for his momentous journey to Ireland, such a Her-
culean labour appears utterly impossible. From the dates

on the sone of the MesetaA, Mandel appean to have begun
it on the 22nd of August, 1741, and to have finished it on
the 12th of September. He set out for Dublin in the be-
ginning of November; and we are to believe that, in the
intermediate time, be began and finished another oratorio
—almost as arduous a task as the composition of the
Messiah, Our scepticism is increased by the circumstance
that Season, thus supposed to be written "in hot
hunt " when Handel was on the eve of departure for
Ireland, in November, 1741, was not produced
till the spring of 1743. The dates, to be sure,
are puzzling ; but we find it easier to suppose that there
may be some unexplained mistake about them, than to be.
here that Handel could have bestowed upon his greatest
oratorio—a work of such stupendous profundity and gran-
deur—less time, care, and thought than a Donizetti would
give to a trivial Italian opera. Mr. Macfarren's analysis
of the work is in the form of copious notes appended to the
words of the various airs and choruses ; and Ms observations

are generally such as might be expected from a gentleman
who is at once an eminent artist and an enlightened critic.
His labours have given the libretto ranch literary value,
and the amateur will derive assistance and pleasure
from it while perusing or listening to the oratorio. The
Society, to render it as useful as possible, have liberally
intimated their madame to furnish it to all choral societies,
&c., throughout the country who may desire to avail them-
selves of it.

The performance last night of a work that has been so
often repeated calls for very little remark. The principal
singers were Miss Birch, Miss Dolby, Mn. Lackey, Mr.
Lackey, and Mr. Weiss, who acquitted themselves as usual.
Two or three deviations were made from the established
practice ; is particular, the sesond part of the air, " He was
despised and rejected," usually omitted, was restored by
Miss Dolby. Another change gave us less pleasure ; the air,
" But thou didet not leave his soul in Hell," usually sung by
the soprano, was given to the tenor. It may have been the
singer's fault ; but the effect was monotonous, and we
missed the relief given by the change to the soprano voice.
The choruses as usual, were grand and powerful ; but we
have often heard the voices more firm and steady. Some-
time, indeed, they wavered excessively, and were actually
at fault. Is this because the ehoristen are beginning to
find themselves too mash at home in this music, and cease-
quently are getting somewhat careless i If so, the reins of
discipline ought to be tightened.