The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-17 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

The great annual choral meeting of metropolitan
schools was held in the Handel orchestra on Saturday.
The admirable idea of these gatherings which every year
afford many thousands of children the very perfection of
• day's enjoyment, originated, we believe, with the Tonic
Sol-fa Association ; but the particular meeting in question
was organised by Mr. G. W. Martin, and composed of Old.
notationists. In collecting materials fur his choir, Mr.
Martin appears to have taken from each school only the
master or mistress, and • few of the must promising
pupils, for the balance of puts was very well preserved ;
and as the total number of voices is said to have been not
lees than 5,000, the schools represented on the occasion
(principally those connected with the National Society)
must have counted by hundreds. The programme con-
sisted of eight sacred and eight secular pieces, a
very large proportion being compositions or ar-
rangements of the conductor, dispensing with the
organ. The selection proved an exceedingly judicious caw,
The melodies were generally of • famillklr character, and
the harmonies were broad and massive, so as to present as
few difficulties as possible to the performers, who DOOMS.
eerily could have bad but few opportunities of practising
togethe'. Nothing, however, could exceed the boldness
and precision with which the whole programme (except-
ing, perhaps, the Prayer from Maaqniello) was performed-
A piece for four female parts, " Sweetly the Sabbath
ball," was instantly encored ; and the well-known
" Hark, the Vesper bell is stealing," arranged so that the
three lower parts sang the words " Jubilate, Amen "
en accompaniment to the air, was rapturously ap-
plauded. " Home, sweet home," it need scarcely
be said, was • greas success. So were " The
Last Bose of Summer," " The Blue Bells of Scot-
land," " See the Conqu'ring Hero comes," and the Echo
chorus from Locker" Macbeth" music. The gem of the
afternoon was, however, the iuvucation to the "Men of
Harlech," • Tyrtwae effort of the Cambrian muse that
really goes along way to justify the outburst of nationalism
in which the Bard Talliaiarn low recently been indulging.
No praise could be too high for the crisp vigour with which
the piece was declaimed. indeed the whole concert brought
forcibly to mind a somewhat Lumina saying, no choral
I luxury was wanting but the let.er IL tin such a point
• one has certainly no right to be very exacting with children
taught in primary schools within the sound of Bow bells;
but we would suggest as a worthy object of ambition to
their instructors the production of something r. little
• better next year than " ; Moine ! ewee' Tome !" It
' would also be as well to bear in mind that the last syllable
• of " saved" is not an exact rhyme fur that of " David.*
The weather on Saturday morning was everything that
I could be desired. A heavy shower came on during the
concert, but the children Lad fortunately been breughc
down early, and had had a famous day in the grounds le-
i fore the singing began. There was a good attendance
• of the general public, with which these choral gatherings
are evidently very popular.