The Express.
London, England, 1860-06-07 00:00:00

THE LONDON CHARITY SCHOOL&

Yesterday was the annual fits of the metropolitan
charity schools, which has beau considerately removed from
St. Paul's to the Crystal Palace. The weather in the
morning was most unpromising, but it happily cleared up
towards noon ; and thus not only bad the little people the
full enjoyment of their holiday, but a very large concourse
of visitors were tempted down to Bydenham. The children,
who mustered about 4,000 strong, represented the following
schools :—Aldersgate Ward, Aldgate Ward, St Alphags
Society, Bt. Ann (Westminster), St. Bartholomew the
Great, Billingsgate Ward, Bishopegate Ward, St. Botolph
(Aklpte), Bridge, Candlewick, and.Doargate Wards, Brad-
street Ward, St. Clement Dana, Clerkenwell,
Colemaa-
strset Ward, Oornbill and Lime-street Wards, Criminate
Within Ward, Dermal's, St. Ethelburgha Society's,
Finsbury Parochial, St. George (Hanons-equare), Bt
George and St. Giles (Bloomsbury), St. John (Southwark)
Girls', St. John (Wapping), Lady Roller, Jumbo*, Lang-
bourn Ward, St. Leonard (Shoreditch), St. Luke's, St.
Mathew (Bethnal-green), St. Martin-in-the-fields, St. Mary
Magdalene (Bermondsey), St. Mary.le-Strand, Mile Rod
Old Town, St. Glare (Southwark), St. Nacres, St Paul
(Covent-garden), Queenhithe Ward, Rained, Raines'
Asylum, Roan's, Si. Saviour (Southwark), St. Sepulchre,
Shelton's, Tower Ward, Vintry Ward, and Worrall's En.
dowed Boys' School.
The peat orchestra never presented a more curious
or a more pleasing appearance ; for almost any tigwe,
often and sysimetaically avenged,

bomb= ware

the foods schools ; bet the upper owe !nee filled by eight
wedges, so to speak, of boys and girls alternately. The
dimposition of the different colours was admirably managed ;
the bright scarlet frocks and jackets of the 3thoenders
Wog thrown in with quite an artistic effect. The musical
programme was not a very bug one. It began of coarse
with the Old Hundredth. As a specimen of chanting
the Cantate was also sung, unfortunately to a double
tans. The rest of the pieces were also of a sacred
character: and the most satisfactory were two chorales,
the "ampere Awake!" of Mendelsohn, and one

beginning " God and King of Jacob's Nation !" from
Ooeta's EU. These were admirably sung, both in
point of accuracy and expression. An " Hosannah "
arnumed by the conductor, Mr. G. W. Martin, was encored,
and the mond time it was delivered with great spirit and
effect. The National Anthem concluded the performance.
It ls needless to say that it was given with the utmost pos-
sible loyalty and vigour; and the ad libitum chorus of
Hurrahs was by no means the nest telling incident of the
afternoon. It was rendered almost exclusively by the boys,
the girls sitting mute with a primness that was in amusing
keeping with their antiquated costume.
- • -

The children having been taken down early in the morn-
ing bad had an opportunity of exploring the wonder' of the
palace before the singing began. They therefore haetened

immediately after it; close to the grounds, where there
was a display of the upper series of fountains. As the
evening drew on they were mustered school by school, and
taken home, having spent a day which, if we might judge
from their physiognomies, must in many oases have formed
• bright contrast to their ordinary life.
We are requested to state that a grand concert will be
given at the Palace on Saturday, the 16th inst., by the
Metropolitan Schools Choral Society, at which about 4,000
children and 1,000 tenors and basses will be present.