The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-27 00:00:00

MUSIC

THE MUSICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON.

This society, whose formation daring the coarse
of lut year has greatly interested our musical
circles, has now come before the public. They
pee their first concert at St. James's Hall lest
evening.
The following was the programme :
Tour I.
0•10•5
11114. Der IPridiAl.." Madams, OIMAIfte.
Closioletyluistib Mew hAS
The.pietet /GFesigia
Mame litanies IWO a... Nadine'

PUN 11.
IsOleo, lkeOwn
MK Mies MY." " Oeilliasne
Oneidas .11.0.. 114•161
Omar% Para! Dann" BMW.

Mendelasohn's overture to Mellish+. (an opera on
which he was understood to be employed, but of
which little or nothing is known) is a very beautiful
composition. It is wild and fanciful, and is strongly
marked with the peculiarities of his style ; but it
would have been more effective had a knowledge of
the opera enabled the listener to perceive the com-
poser'. designs. As it is, the impression produced
vague ; though it contains many. passages whish
mast always please. Its execution is difficult,
dairy the parts for the violins, which are exosedin
florid. It tested the qualities of the orchestra,
which stood the test most satisfactorily • being
complete, powerful, and composed of the hest per-
formers on every instrument. Madame Catherine
Hayes (why does she call herself "Madame?"),
who has re-appeared before the London public after
a long absence, received a most cordial and well-
deserved welcome. Her performance of the great
arena from the Freischittz was admirable in every
respect—in voice, execution, and true and passionate
expression. It gives us pleasure to see this excellent
artiste and amiable lady resuming the high place
among us which she has so long held in her pro-
Lasko.
Macfarreo's cantata May Day is not absolutely
new, having been first produced at the Bradford
Festival some three years ago, but this was its first
performance in London. It is a work which does
honour to the genius of our distinguished countryman.
The subject is extremely simple, being a description
of our old English May-day revels, without any dra-
matic plot or incidents being engrafted upon it, sa is
done in Sterndale Bennett's AloyQween. An assem-
blage of rustics, after some debate, choose their
"Queen of the May," and two or three songs and
choruses are sung in honour of the occasion.
There is a rat-song, "The hunt's up," a kind of
rural serenade, exceedingly fresh and graceful ; a
very fine air, " Beautiful Ma " sung by the May
Queen, with an old English burden, " Hey, nanny
nanny no!" by the chorus; and lastly, a choral
finale

WHO WILL PAT the CHINESE IN-
..Wmpostior:4ll2.. DIA A a
Wails a. to sr lib.~t M IN.
giUzil. la Or Way el 111. sata%

Lads and lasses, hasten all
To the real festival ;
which gives a most animated picture of the May-
day revels. This finale is founded on an old English
monis-dance of the time of Queen Elizabeth,
worked up with remarkable gaiety and spirit. The
work was well performed, Catherine Hayes singing
the part of the May Queen charmingly. But it
struck us that the effect was injured by the arrange-
ment of the orchestra. The May Queen was seated,
all alone, in front; while all her companions—the
chorus, that is to say—were placed at the verry back,
immediately under the organ, with the whole body
of the greet instrumental band interposed between
them—thus completely cutting off all semblance of
communication between the merry-makers and their
sovereign of the hour; while, moreover, the voices of
the chorus were often overpowered by the seam of
instruments between them and the audience. In the
finale, in particular, the chorus was sometimes ab-
solutely inaudible. Some better arrangement than
this, we should think, might be adopted without
much difficulty.
The concerto played by Piatti was composed by
Molique expressly for him, and first performed several
years ago at one of the Philharmonic Concerts. It
is a masterly work, and Piatti's playing was per-
fection. Beethoven's colossal symphony to C minor
was a grand performance, which did equal honour to
the band and to their excellent conductor.
Thus the Musical Society of London have made a
very promising debut; and we trait they will make
good the expectations they have raised.

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 27, 1859.

PARLLIMENTARY REFORM.

MBSTING AT BLACKBURN.
On Monday evening, a public muffin , convened
by the Mayor, in compliance with • numerooil ynd re-
pthition, was held in the Blackburn Town-hall, foe the
Winof oonaidering the question of parliamentary reform.
essesphlyincies was
wasdeneelwded. The Mayor (Kr.
Buraga), molded; sad accompsaled to the pig-
kisa by Mr. James Pilkingtou, M.P. for the beroeo ;
Alia= Johnson, R. R. Jackson, Hoek, Boy* W
bPert-Rutherford ; Councillors W. B. Wagtail, TAR-
aa'achletos, Bullough, Beaty, riffle; WIZ:
Hffiell, B Bolton ; Meters. T. oche, . Alas
(lima clerk;Bev. H. Cook, Be. A number of letters of
IMp from invited guests had been received ; among
from Meurs. John. Bright, M.P.; T. Bully, M.P.;
N. N. Philips, Y.P. George Hadfield, M.P.—Mr. W.
H. Hereby, M.P., considered the meeting to be " premetare
sad uncalled for at the premed time."
Alderman PILYINOTON moved the first resolution as fel-
lows That this men! is etrougly of opinion that the
political grimaces maw which the people of this country
labour mein Immediste redress, and that a very large rasa-
sues ef pesffitamiskry reform ought to be pared during the
Mein
_miss eeparliament."
Mr. Afisrma JACXSON seconded the motion.
The 111.170 c pot the resolution to the meeting, and it was
serried nemdmonaly.
. bk. T. ZOMBI Immo; the following resolution That
r plodyee- Wren' to support a bill which will Include
boroughs, sad 101. occupiers in coon-
il*ftputioldtkie didnachiessest eta Min bo-
a sem netrlbutio• at lognesstatives to
oil pollutants."
was seconded by Mr. CII.O69LNY, and sup-
puled by Mr. POLLARD ; after which
JAXIIII PILILISOTON, M.P., was received with loud
tams. He said that front what they
_had heard that night
any MEd that then were other individnals who had pre-
paid mint bills is their minds, and who each thought that
Wit* IM wee the ass which ought to be tarried. There wee
se one bed mere respect than he for his Mend Alderman
Joie% but et In ewe time he must beg leave to disagree
• Ille geetlen he lied laid Wore the meeting. He
leek sue e pond el ettlectlon to It, which was this :
It amid lime mss id at Molding the community into dialo-
gist seelense, end, hard of treaties a feeling that they
wren all property lemmented, and that all their views were
meibi one they wield be suspecting one another, and at-
tempting to baron span each ether. There were no sepa-
rate Interests of the landowners, of the middle-class men,
and of the working classes. They had all an interest.
They had before them • bill which was intended to
be introduced into the Hones of Commas this wit sr-
don—be meant Mr. Bright's. That was a bill which he
could agree with le the male. When he first addressed
them se a candidate for the npregentatice of Blackburn, now
some twelve years ago, the sestigesste he then uttered on the
subject of reform were, that the sulker should be house-
hold; to that principle he still adhered. But they would
find very great difficulty in carrying • meson for such as
/standee of the franchise; and, therefore, he was quite pure
that they would go along with him, or any other person who
would say, " If I cannot get all we waist I will get u much
as I can, and I will take what I can get with a view to
getting more." (Cheers.) If there was one thing which
caused him to hesitate upon a large extension of the suffrage,
It was the question of having the ballot connected with it.
He was sure that in all boroughs it must be evident to every
man, elector and non.elector, that justice was not done
to elector*, and that the only way of doing ju-
tice to them was to connect with the franchise
vote by ballot. (Cheers.) It might be said that it
was • vary money way of voting sot to openly. Bo
said he, were It pre...Unable. But he contended that it
was not practicable. He put the question to any master
who might stand on this platform. He might lay to his
worktoec, " I do not want to influence you one jot; you
may vote u you choose, and I will vote the way I choose,"
but where workmen oorne immediately in contact with
their masters, they did not like to look their master in the
face If they had voted matter, to what his views were. In
the two resolutions which had been fumed by the meeting
he entirely concurred. He would make one remark upon
the bW of Mr. Bright. He rather doubted his pried* of
giving more members to the large bcemthe. He was
quite sure that there were many boroughs excluded
by Ma scheme which were sufficiently large, with a con-
stituency sufficiently nuthwous sal* seder the ballot,
would be quite as independent am Manchiestar,Liver-
pool, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, or Landes.
Now, with roma to 'imbue mere perticelaely, he fancied
he saw doge Is inereesies the repremniatioe el the Mire
metropolis. Mr. Bright prepead se give to Ludo. end tie
vicinity, the whole metropolis, 42 members. That was a
very large proportion of the House of Cosmos. He
might any that London had only one interest, and there-
fore it needed no such representation. And he saw
in such an increase to the representatives of the
lie knew by experience that the metropolitan members
always banded together when they wanted to put their
hands Into the conrolidated fund for works which were
carried on In London, aad which in his opinion ought to be
paid for by the metropolis itself, and not by the count.
He would not pledge himself to any bill to all its dames
before he saw and heard them dimmed in the Howe of
Commons, and then be would takimbst be considered the
best, and carry out the views which they had expensed that
night, and which views were MB am (Cheers.)