The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-29 00:00:00

MR. HENRY LESLIE'S CONCERTS.

The concert of Wednesday night, although contain-
ing no feature of absolute novelty, was interesting in many
respects; especially from the admirable singing of the
choir in several madrigals and part songs, old and new ;
and in the sublime eight-past psalm of Mendelasohn,
"Judge me, 0 God," encored on this occasion, as in seve-
ral recent instances of its peiformance by the same choir.
An important: although not a novel feature also was Mr.
Sinis Reeves's admirable singing of Bee►hoven's Adelabla,
with pianoforte accompaniment by Mr. Charles Halle, who
also played the same composer's " Sonia. Pathetique,"
and a Prelude and two " Lieder ohne worte," by Men-
delsohn. Miss Edith Wynne, Madame Patey-lt"hytock,
and Signor G. Garcia were the other solo vocalists of the
evening.

A great rehearsal of the two thousand two hun-
dred members of the London division of the Handel
Festival choir will be held, under the direction of Mr.
Costa, et Exeter-hall, this evening.

DRAMA.

HOLBORN.

The novel of " Foul Play," written by Mr.
Charles Reade and Mr. Dion Boucicault, and pub-
lished in the new series of Once a 'llea, was pro-
duced in a dramatic form at this house last night with
the most perfect and well-deserved success. Of
course the compression necessary for its effective
production on the stage in four short acts
has reduced the play until it appears to be
little more than a syllabus of the novel, but nothing is
left out that can make the story clear even to those who
go to the theatre without a knowledge of its characters
and incidents. The first act. lasting little more than
twenty minutes, is a masterpiece of clever exposition,
and the interest increases at every succeeding stage, until
it arrives at its climax in the fourth act. It is a drama of
plot and incident rather than of character, and belongs to
the criminal class; but the plot is novel as far as we
remember, and is founded on a trial for ship-scuttling,
which created • considerable sensation about two or three
years ago. Many suooessful dramas owe much of their
popularity to the scene-painter and the actors, but Foul
Play may be at once fairly described as a legitimate
author's success.

Miss Heurade, we believe, astonished and pleased every-
body with the grace, force, and dignity which she threw into
the character of the young lady, and Foul Play has cer-
tainly given her an opportunity which she never had before
of showing her real talent. Mr. Moreland was a sensible
detective ; Mr. E. l'rioe acquitted himself well as the con-
riot ; and Mr. G. Neville gave the necessary hardness to
the villain. Mr. Joseph Irving, who played the scuttling
mate, hovered half-way between low comedy and earnest-
ness ; and Miss Fanny Josephs dressed herself neatly in
motto*, and performed • servant with much spirit. The
piece was decently put upon the stags, and all the actors
and authors were called before the curtain. The authors
not being in the hones, Mr. Palladio, announced the piece
for repetition in the usual manner.

Comma OF AGE.—The coming of age of the
Marquis of Worcester, the son of the Duke of Beaufort,
last week wee celebrated with regal magnificence, at Bad-
minton, near Chippenhant, in Wilts, the seat of the
duke. One night 1,500 of the nobility and gentry of Glou-
cestershire were invited to a ball, and on another night
1,500 of the nobility and gentry of Wiltshire were invited
to a ball. There was a monster a! Auto Me, at which
10,000 persons were present. Huge waggons appotred at
the fete conveying 2,000 twopenny loaves, 2,000 pieces of
cheese, and huge casks of beer. 2io of the duke's
workmen sat down to a sumptuous dinner, and 500
of their wives and children at down to tea,
and were waited on by the Duchess of Beau-
fort and other noble ladies. The village of Badmin-
ton was profusely decorated with floral ornaments. Splen-
did bits of music were hired, and an illumination
and fireworks took place in the evening. At Chepstow,
the event was celebrated by the ringing of the church
bells, a dinner given to 250 aged poor, and a tea to all the
children of the village. The gentlemen and tradesmen of
the neighbourhood also bad a grand dinner. At Monmouth
there was a general holiday. Three oxen were killed, one
of which was publicly roasted whole, and all the meat
given away to the poor.
THE ALBERT GOLD MEDAL OF THE SOCIETY Or
Arm—The council of the society have this year awarded
this medal to Joseph Whitworth, " for the invention and
manufacture of instruments.' measurement and uniform
standards by which the production of machinery has been
brought to a degree of perfection hitherto nnapproached,
bythe advancement of arts, manufactures, aid com-
merce." The medal was instituted to reward " distin-
guished merit in promoting arts, manufactures, or oom-
asertre,"aod among the reelpteats in former years have
bees Sir Bowbutd Hill, I Faraday, and Messrs.

-. tenor ..11,
On the 19th of next month Sir Henry Bawlinson I Cooks and Wheatstone.
will :all the attention of the Home of Commons to the On Tuesday, a public park wag presented to the
meat atonements of Eustis in Central Asia ; and will 1 people of Paisley " Mr. Thomas Cotta, a Firguale'
molt ga address for papers. i who, in Ms f s and aadownesat of this plaoe of rs•
cession, has laid out me km than 20,0001.