The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-27 00:00:00

FINE ART&

OF THE SOCIETY OF BRITISH
ARTIHTS.

The private view of this exhibition took place oft
listunley.
We have the unthankful task of reporting a display mu&
lea interesting than areal, sad very diecourngiog if taken es
an indmution of the date and prospects of British sit The
first impression of the nearly nine handfed performances
lore collected. scarcely say el which Yore saygrest elevation
of subject, an masreely any of whieh is execution sr* at all
extraordinary, or ores above respectability, is to the lad
degree wearieceie sad mosetosons. Greatly contributing

to this impression le also the fact that the ;mire are Su;
merely mediocre, but the great majority are exact me.
titiooe of what we have ben familiar with for may pus
from the same hands and in the same place. It is only after
• second and more careful, sod, with such a number, labo-
rious exansinattle, that a few works of promise by cam-
Imrativel,y 1/111111UW11 men ere discovered to form the
salt and leaven Of the whole.

MUSIC.

KINWI'RELS.

This very popular Houpe of American Ethiopians
have lost Nee of their Loudon popularity. They have
renamed to lona after a short ahmoce, and have " lasted "
. . . .

themselves is • sew

to her Majesty. Theatre, one of the handsomest and most
commaliotui places of its kind that we have in the metropri-
Us. We visited their entertainment last evening, and found
the room filled to the doors with au audience who
evidently enjoyed the various performances—the singing,
comic and saatimental, mixed np with quaint,
rollicking negro fun and buffoonery— with the utmost pos-
sible zest. It is evident that, hackneyed as this enter-
tainment might ewes to be—for there are few people, in
the habit of going to London places of amusement, who
have not seen and heard these sable musicians—yet it Is by
no names worn threadbare, and might be carried on with
means far any length of time. And indeed this is not air,
plain, es there is much that is really attractive in their
performances. They belong, indeed, to a clans who have in-
undated England thew 20 years, but they are immeasdrahly
the best of the clues. While preserving the raciness of their
Yankee singing and negro laszi, they have divested them
of much.of their vulgarity. They are clever musicians, have
excellent voices, sing with considerable grace and refinement,
and accompany themselves with a degree of precision.'
Alifotak, and spirit which we often desiderate in misdeal
performances of much higher pretensions. Many of their
melodies, too, are exceedingly pretty, and it is not irtupris-
lAL that some of them an to be found on the pianofortes of,
our ladies, mingled with the most elegant vocal music of
the day.

THE OXFORD MUSIC HILL.

Yesterday evening a new musical establishment
was opened by Maas. Morton and Stanley, the proprietors
of Canterbury Hall, on the site of the promisee formerly
known as the Boar sod Castle, thford•street. The building
is a remarkably well-constructed one, and is a very hand-
some and wall-arranged addition to the music halls which
have become an acknowledged institution in London.
The whole arrangements, both for appearance and work-
ing, have been well studied, and evince great care and know•
ledge of the requirements necessary in ► place of entertain-
ment of this kind. Considersbils Mt/sties has been paid to
the bghting. The glass chandelier is the hall is remarkably
elegant, while the lighting is effected by crystal stars. The
decorations are of a delicate and tasteful description, and
the ventilation appears to have been well attended to.
The inauguration of the building last night was signalised
by a concert in which, in addition to a numerous amps of
excellent singers, Kim Pampa, His Poole, Mr. Swift, and
Mr. Huntley, took part.
The plow will be open to the public this evening.