The Express.
London, England, 1859-06-23 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JUNE 23, 1859.

As a ausleal minim date great Christisa hymn of praise and
thanksgiving, it stands alone among the numberless works of
its clew. Handel Lea pnt forth all his gigantic strength in
the composition of its esegnificent choruses, which for
breadth, simplicity, contrapuntal resources, and variety of
expression, hoe not been surpassed even by the author him-
self. It bears evident marks of Its intentioa—that of being
performed on high and solemn festivals; end its tons is no,
..rely that of triumph, but of military triumph, which
indicated by the martial strain which rum through It, and
the we, from beginning to end, of the most warlike of in-
aremeate, the troaper, for which, even at that remote day,
Render woes pampa which ten rather severely the execu-
tive chill Owns mown Hooper. The whole piece is Moral,
with the exception of two solos for a bake voice, which were
nag by Signor Belletti is a style which did honour to his
attainments (greater than thee. of any Italian we have ever
heard) as • sound Mendeliao ringer.
The Dettbsgen To Dams was followed by a selection from
Brisheseer, one of Handers weakest onstorics, and ma, cm-
'egoista', which Lee probably never been performed as •
whole Om Handel's own day, and very seldom even then.
The selection consisted of as accompanied recitative, " Re-
prise, my countrymen," sad the chorus, " Sing, 0 ye
Leavens," which the recitative serves to introduce. This re.
Motive is a very long and heavy piece of musical declaim-
dam The words occupy a page of the libretto, sod are so
deli se anything you will find in a clueleol French tragedy ;
the asemeity, imposed on the singer by the vastness of the
piaos, of enunciating every syllable slowly end loudly, aggra-
vated the Winsome of this ponderous monologue.
Wise tolled manfully through it, and made the meet of an
ungrateful task. The chorus is good, but not of such
stoking excellence se to entitle it to be chosen on such an
occasion. Still more were we disappointed with the selection
from Sacl. This oratorio was written when Handel was In
the plenitude of his powers, and it is full of great and char
ractaristic beauties. The subject, moreover, ie deeply
pathetic; sad, a biblical lyric tragedy, we ere disposed to
give the palm to Saul among all the compeer's mod
dame. The Mention from this beautiful work was limited
le me Mersa "Envy, eldest-born ofHell," very excellent in
its dramatic situation, but, when isolated, quite ineffective.
Theo the fensons " Dead March" was played; end, with all
deference to Mr. Cola, • great deal too:slow. This funereal
strain is the prelude or introduction to the most beautiful
passer la the whole oratorio, " 0 fatal day : " the lamenta-
tion of David sad the Israelites for the fall of Saul and
Jonathon; but, strange to tall, this most exquisite effusion
of leadsmen' and sorrow was left out, the selection stopping
at the moot when it was to have been expected. Then
came a selection from Seviamt, which wee good, but might
very easily have been better. It comprised the chorus,
" Fixed in His everlasting seat; ,in which the Israelites and
Philiedame assert, Is opposition to each other, the power end
saprentoo of their respective deities--• magnificent specimen
of choral coastruction ; the pathetic air, Return, 0 God of
Haste," beautifully rang by Mks Dolby; the sir, "Let the
bright seraphim," and the tine chortle, "Let their celestial
concerts all unite." Of than fear piens, one wee certainly
unworthy to be chosen. "Let the bright seraphim" wee
called by Cheep 111. "a noisy, valgar sag;" and so it Is.
It was written ad capialiduas rut's., and to exhibit the
flexible throat of • prima donna, and the embouchure of
Handel's favourite trumpeter, Valentine Snow. It was su-
perbly sung by Clara Novelle and played by Mr. Harper ;
but what was it, after ally How infinitely better would it
have been had Sims Reeves sung " Total eclipse ! no sun,
so moon l"—that lamentation for the loss of sight which
Bendel wrote under the impression that this calamity was
toning upon himself, and to which he himself used, In after-
days, to tato while tear. were streaming from his "lOUs=
eyes. The °missies of this most remarkable sir, In • mho-
ace from Handel, when a singer was at hand to do It justice,
to us unaccountable. The last selection was from

Jltdaa Macesbeta, and certainly included some of
the greatest beauties of that oratorio. The cho-
rus, " 0 Father, wham almighty power ," the
magnificent watery, "Sound an alarm" (one of Roeves's
happiest efforts); the sir "Front mighty kings," sung by
Madame Clara Novella; and the Woo= song of triumph,
"See the Conquering Hero comes," were all ss judiciously
chores se they wens superbly performed. On the whole, our
opinion certainly is, that one great work of Handel—Saul, or
Samson, or Judas Maeralress—would hire been better than

this collection of fragments; and we think that, in a whole
day'e performance, the "greatanglishtenor" might havehal
. .

. .
more allotted to him than • single ; and likseinse that oar
groat English 'omen° might have dose man than sing •
aimile air, and that a had one. Bat, with all these short-
comings, or what we regard u each, the prrforreencs wee •
groat one, and not unworthy of this pot Festival.

1a.171110 OF CONVOCATION.

Is the Lower House, after our report left yesterday,

The Veserable Archdale= Haut preeated • gravamen
to the effect that parliament roped= to alter the law of
church rasa without consulting the clergy in convocation
assembled. Such en alteration would affect the posiUon of
the whoa Church. The present state of the question wee
=operate to the Church. He thought that every force
should be brought to bear on the House of Commons against
it, sad he was ashamed to see members of tho Church in the
Hones of Commons, on platforms, and elsewhere joining in
this question with the opponents of the Church, who openly
declared that the abolition of church-rates was the first step
to the annihilation of the Church itself. Nobody complained
of the hadship of church-retie—oven their opponents found
no fault with the rates upon their merits, but tare wee a so-
ciety in Loudon whose members west about as-bales
areonget the poor people in order to indium them to outvote
their richer neighbours. (Hoer, hew.) For himself be
thought her, was so question which might be more racily
settled, if a few men of ability would sit round a council.table
with the whole of the feet, before them.

Sir H ettiar THUMPFON suggested that a clause should he
interted in the addreis to the throte protesting scainst the
threatened alteration in the law of church rates.

Archdeacon SANDFOItD meconded Archdeacon Hale's
motion.

Chancellor Mstatte thought the matter should be ap-
proached with great judgment, and reminded the house that
the subject had not b*n hat eight of. He was on a com-
mittee of the Lower House some time ago which considered
the question hilly, and presented a very elaborate report
upon it.
Archdeacon DENTION wea in favour of leaving things se
they were in reference to church ratan and recommended

convocation to opp,ro any alteration in the law both by a de-
claration or its views and by a paragraph &the addreaa to the
throne.

After considerable discussion, Archdeacon BALE exprered
himself willing to withdraw his gravamen, In order that It
might be preented to the bowie in an !motored form, at the
SUN time urging that wreathing should be put upon the re-
cords of the house on this most important sutdect. He
thought that by poling I. oragraph in the address they
would be going upon dangerous ground.
The house ultimately permitted Archdeacon Hale to with-
draw his motion, and he subsequently moved the whole of
the gravamina be referred to a committee to prepare a report
to the Upper House of Convocation.
It was ultimately resolved to address the whole house upon
the subject, and the address was agreed to.
A very long discusion took place on the subject of the
new Divorce Act, and ultimately as"articular deli" was
pored in the following form That the act to amend the
law relating to divorce and testamentary clauses in Borland,
paved in the year 1867, ham materially changed the law of
marriage, and is folt to press hardly upon the clergy, end
therefore ought to be amended. That this house, fully recog-
nising the supreme Importance of the imperial parliament to
legislate for eliminate of men within the realm, is of op•nioa
that when charts In the law are proposed which would
slit to,, articles or canons of the church, or the duties
required of the clergy, it i, desirable that the advice of the
clergy In convccatlen !Stool,' be sought before the enactment
of rich changes. The hour therefore prays their lordship'
of the Upper House to %Lae their best eadeavou rs in puha •
went to procure the amendment of the rid set?'
The adders to the Queen from the Upper House was
brought down for approval, brat hobs now fire o'clock, its
consideration was deferred aril this day.
The Worthen adjourned.

RoYAL OtOOIAPNICAL SociErt.—At tbe "min
woodsy, to Nasky act (June 27), et !.Morttight p.m.,
tbo paws nee wW be .-1. Nan ow a Voyage le New
Denis. by Wiwi R. Wallace, Riq 1.R.G.11.,• 2. Re-
wetics is Portuguese honeys swan Ortra Africa. by
Jwitos Natqwws. F.R.0.8.; fa Ihmewn
Sisa bad Ortabeils, by D. 0. Nisi, Esq., be.

Ms. C. CAVAN Doi 117.0—Wi have been given to
tmerestaed that a pregemob In yeshatir's Whig, minors-
lag that gendarme's reedy entail Is this country" Is
leo seed, sad that be bee no remit intention of so &Hog.
We also Warn that the ogles b Issigasd erse Pricier of
the Board of Land end Works, kris attached to it a w]►ry
of 2,0001. a year, with a rattring allowance of 8001., whir
latter, we breve, Xs. Defy new aeloye.—Norglisre Whig.