The Express.
London, England, 1860-04-26 00:00:00

THE COMING SEASON AT THE CRYSTAL

PALACE.

The directors of the Crystal Palace have pub-
lished the programme of their arrangem®b for the coming
~OIL

The arrangement adopted last year in the guinea season
tickets, by which the holders were admitted on payment of
belfa-crown whenever the price of admission fixed for the
day was five shillings and upwards, is renewed, but with the
modification that these tickets will not be excluded on any
day in the coming season, as they were on the occasion of the
Handel Commemoration in 1859. As, however, a large and
influential class will no doubt still desire to avoid the incon-
venience of recurring payments, the issue of two guinea
tickets, admissible on all occasions during the season, will be
continued. With the view of promoting as far as possible
the visits of the families of season ticket holders, it has been
determined that season tickets for children under twelve
years of age, admissible on all occasions, shall be Waled at
the uniform reduced rate of half a-guinea each.
The new season will open on Friday, the 4th of May,
with a great festival for the inauguration of the colossal
brcase statue of Mendelssohn, lately designed and executed
by Mr. Charles Bacon. The principal feature of the festival
will consist of • grand performance of the Oratorio of
Elijah, on • scale far exceeding say cm which it has ever
before been attempted. The musical arrangements have
been undertaken by the Sacred Harmonic Society ; the
band and chorus will consist of nearly 3,000 performers.
and Mr. Costa has consented to act as ocmductor. The
statue will be placed for the occasion in a prominent posi-
tion on the terrace. It is proposed that the ceremony of
unveiling it shall take place at 6 o'clock, and be followed at
dusk by a great torchlight procession, similar to that
which produced so remarkable an effect at the Schiller
Festival last autumn.

Four flower shows will be held in May, June, August,
and Nov., and six grand opera concerts in May, lane
and July. Engagements for further concerts of a simile;
character are in contemplation, and will be duly made
public.
The alterations lately effected in the construction of the
concert room have been attended with the most satisfactory
results. Not only is it now larger than Exeter-hall, or any
other music ball in or near the metropolis, but it is pos-
sessed of admirable qualities for sound, which have been
universally recognised.
The Saturday Concerts will be resumed in the autumn, on
a day to be hereafter announced.
An arrangement has been concluded with the Societe des
Orpheonistee of France—a very extensive association for
the promotion of vocal part-music, which has its head-
quarters at Paris, but whose branch societies are to be found
in almost every town and village in France—for the visit of
a large body of the members of the society to the e
Palace, and for three days' performance in the iXetit
Orchestra of the Centre Transept. Their number will be
between three and four thousand, and the performances
will be conducted by Mona. Emilie Delaporte, the founder
of the society. The days fixed for the performances are
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, the 25th, 26th, and 28th
June.

The butte and practising ground of the London Rills
Brigade, which are being formed in the lower portion of the
company's grounds, will be completed very early in the
season. Arrangements have also been made by the London
Scottish Volunteer Ride Corps and the Queen's Westmin-
ster Volunteer Rifles for the appropriation of another
piece of ground in the same locality. Both these practisiag
ma will be open to the view of the visitors to the
Palace. Another archery meeting will be held this
year on the 19th and 20th July.
An addition of great importance will this season be made
to the refreshment department in the suite of new dining-
rooms in the square tower at the end of the south wing
nearest to the railway corridor. The new rooms will project
into the best portion of the patens, and will command the
finest view of the landscape beyond, the upper series of foun-
tains, the great fountains in the lower begins, the terraces,
and the Palace itself. The general arrangernente have been
placed under the management of a maitre d'tael of great
experience; and the kitchens—which are entirely new and
distinct from those in the main building—are confided to
one of the most talented French chefs of the culinary art.
The Art Union had a decided success last season, encou-
raging the council to endeavour still further to extend its
operations. With this view they have resolved on expend-
ing 2,000/. in anticipation of the amount available for prizes
to the subscribers. The additional prism thus obtained will
consist of new and original works in marble and wood
carving from commissions expressly given by the council to
eminent sculptors and wood carvers: rucurr selected from
the new exhibition of the Gallery • new
works in electroplate, in majolica, in porcelain, and in
glees, specially executed for the council by eminent firms ;
sod other artistic objects not vet definitely determined on.
Not only have important additions been made to the prizes,
but the list of presentation works ban beau also much in-
creased, and now numbers 43 in all. An exhibition of the
whole of these objects, both prises and presentation works,
will be opened in the Palace in May next.
A grand bazaar and fancy fair, under distinguished pa-
Mouse will be held on Friday the Bth, Saturday the oth,
and Yoay the 11th Jane, for the benefit of the Ware.
housemen and Clerks' School at New Crow.

7beglaTa;;illis; opened OniOnciiysiit 9 um., and on
the rest of the week at 10, except on spec.'sl occasions to be
duly announced ; closing daily about sunset.