The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-17 00:00:00

The Oxford Music Hall.

In the grand selection from Donizctti's "La Favorita"
produced here last evening is to be found another of those
brilliant musical displays which at this hall so largely re .
fLct the beauties of the entire works. Principals, chorus
and band are alike commendable. awl we hear again, in
most attractive form, delicious music, for some time pushed
aside rather capriciously by Verdi, and lately heard chieflj
in the strains of the retreating organ-grinders, The mor-
ceaux of the selection includes the romance of " Fernando"
in the first act —" Una vergin, no angel ;" the duet ' E fla
ver ;" the aria of Leonora, " 0 mio Fernando ;" the recita •
tivo and romance, " Spirto gentil ;" the introduction and
chorus in the first act, "Bell' alba foriera," and the scene
and finale to the second act. To those who are familiar
with the completeness of the chorus under Mr Jonghmans'
baton, it is supeiflaous to speak of the execution of the
framework of the selection. Miss Barrie (a rising singer),
as Leonora, M. Marini as Fernando, Mr Greene as Alfonso,
and M. Marcello as Baldassare, gave the principal airs and
concerted pieces with spirit and artistic effect. In the re-
turn of Miss Russell, the leading soprano, after a brief ab-
sence, a fine voice is welcomed, which is heard to singular
advantage in the music of Marguerite in " Faust." " The'
Oxford," since its fusion into a company, maintains its old
prestige, Mr Charles Morton, now managing director, being
the life and soul of the establishment, just as he was %%hen
sole proprietor. Indeed, although the commercial company
is "limited," the artistic resources seem to have no limit.
Unsworth reigns supreme in the world of mock-
oratoty, exhibiting a rich 'kaleidescope of non-
sense, but showing np cant and humbug, or
presenting most grotesque aspects of conventional
life in almost every word he utters from the "table."
Eugene, the musical epicene, is quite a marvel. " His"
assumption of the female voice and manner—rudely shat-
tered by his lightning flashes of the masculine—are the
perfection of burlesque,in one of its most difficult and subtle
lines. Mr W. Randall, whe is re-introducing his imita-
tion of the late Mr Robson (with a feeling allusion to the
loss the public have sustained by the late event) gives un-
mistakeable signs of possession of dramatic power. In his
Sampson Burr (" Porter's Knot") Mr Randall may be said
to " photograph" the late actor in one of his most highly-
wrought delineations. We are also glad to see Mr Jongh-
mans breaking fresh ground in reproducing some of the
more noted solos and duets (comic and sentimental) scat-
tered throughout the field of foreign and English opera,
Some of the buffo revivals—given with dramatic action, and
nut with the mere dry see-saw cf the arms—open up a new
source of pleasure to The Oxford audience. A little revo-
lution is setting in in the musical world, and music seems
destined to exercise a more exhilarating influence than ever.
It is well, then, not to loss eight of any combinations by
which vocal and instrumental music may be rendered at-
tractive. Two English opera companies are almost on the
point of starting, and Mr German Reed has struck a most
fantastic, but telling chord in his musical afterpieces—
farces set to music, in fact—the idea of which he has
felicitously adopted from our sprightly neighbour across
the channel. Everything denotes activity in musical
circles. The old cry of the " dearth of talent" is reviving,
in the straits of rival entrepreneurs to obtain tenors, bari-
tone:, and sopranos for the forthcoming struggle.
Good
singers, and even singers of promise, are at a premium in
the market; and a species of kidnapping is being resorted
to by the Montagus and Capulets of the Haymarket and
Bow-street houses, which strikes terror into or elates the
hearts of the Concert Hall singers. The competition, how-
ever, will be good for art; singers of talent will maintain
and improve their position—the charlatans will go to the
wall. Well may an indignant Unswortb. ask " Where are
we now ?"

SHOCKING SUICIDE,—On Thursday evening Mr
S. H. Church, borough coroner, held an inquest at
the canteen of Colchester Cavalry Barracks, on the body of
George Knott, private 16th Queen's Lancers, who had
committed suicide that morning by shooting himself in his
barrack.room with a horse pistol. The jury first proceeded
to view the body of the unfortunate roan, who was dis-
covered lying upon his faco in a pool of blood in the upper
story barrack-room of the married men's quarters, with his
right hand grasping the pistol and his ire finger firmly
on the trigger. It was afterwards stated in evidence thathe
rose that morning at half-past five o'clock, and went to the
stables to clean his horse, when he appeared well and
cheerful with two of his comrades. After partaking of
breakfast with his wife, who thought he seemed low spi-
rited and said but little, he went back to his work, but
returned home egain, and during the absence of hie wife to
clean the troop-room he committed the fatal act, and was
found as described between nine and ten, quite dead. Sur-
geon Ker Fat k, 16th Lancers, upon examining the body
discovered that the deceased had discharged the loaded
pistol in Lis mouth,•completely blowing away the palate, and
causing the ball to enter the brain, thereby causing death.
He had been in the IGth Lancers 22 years, and bore the
character of a good, steady soldier, and no cause was as-
sisgned to induce him to commit the rash act. The jury,
after hearing the evidence, unanimously returned the ver-
dict 4, That deceased committed suicide, but there was no
evidence to show the state of his mind at the time. He has
1 left a wife and four children.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAY, FRIDAY
—Admissions on payment, 2,024 ; ditto, by season tickets,
677; total yisitors, 2,701,