The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-11 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

BRITISH INSTITUTION.

The exhibition of the works of British artists at
the British Institution, Pall-mall. opened this morning to the
public. At the private view on Saturday we were &ap-
pointed at finding scarcely a single work of first-rate excel-
lame ; but on the other hand there is an unusual
Lumber of franks of milkiest merit to stairs
We must observe that we have heard the complaint
in artistic circles that an unusual.number of good pictures
have been rejected this year. This is the more surprising
when so much trash is advantageously placed. The British
Institution was eirtablishalifor the encouragement more par-
ticularly of historical, religious, and poetical art, yet we
find the " line " occupied in many places by inferior land-
scapes, to the exclusion of numerous small figure
subjects of promise.

MUSIC.
SACRED HARMONIC HARMONIC SOCIETY.

The performance the Creation aitxeter-h all on
Friday nightdrew as antilenembich maybe literally described
as overflowing ; for not °sly was every inch of space oc-
cupied but numbered people, we were informed, were un-
able to obtain tickets. feb has always been— and we be-
lieve always will be—the cue with this most beautiful of ors.
torios. Its (nausea is tinfading ; and those to whom it is
most familiar seem to derive from it the keenest
enjoymeat. We never beard ibis charming music more
admirably performed than it was last night. The soprano
part was sung by Madame Lemmens-Sherrington in a mea-
ner which must raise her already high reputation as an
oratorio singer. Her clear and flexible, yet rich and mellow
voice, her brilliant execution, her perfect intonation, and
grace and purity of style, were fully displayed in the two
great airs of bier pert, " With verdure dad the fields Asp-
ppeeaarr " sad "On mighty wings." A great beauty of this
lady a singing is the severity of her taste, which preserves
her from the slightest teaey to vulgar or overcharged
embellishment. Mr. Sim Beeves meg with even more
than his usual power and effect. His great
effort, " In native worth and honour dad," made eo strong
an imprerion that the audience, disregarding the conven-
tional restraint usual at Exeter-hall, showed an evident
desire to obtain a repetition of the air, with which, how-
ever, the singer very properly did not comply. Mr. Weiu
pee great effect to the bass part, and wasespecally happy
in the third part of the oratorio—singing the soft awl ten-
der music belonging to the character of Adam with the
smoothness and delicacy of a tenor voice. Mr. Montem
Smith sustained the tenor part in the concerted music with
great excellence. Taken altogether, this performance of
Haydn's rAff•crourre was one of the finest we have ever
listened to.

THE NATIONAL CHORAL Sort ETY. lIMURI
weekly rehearsal of this society cannot take place on Ash
Wedneeday, a rule of the Exeter hall committee not ad.
mating of such meetings on that clay. The following Wed-
nesday will be employed in a full rehearsal of the MergicA
for its repetition on the 37th, a very genteel desire having
been exprevied that it may he repeated.
FATHER cmr's OLD FOLKS. —An American con-
cert company, consisting of thirty ladies aodyntlemen, will
make their first appearance in London this evening, at the
Bt. James-hall