The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-02 00:00:00

THE KEY OF THE EXHIBITION.

The next portion of the ceremonial consisted in
the formal presentation by Lord Granville, of what
may be called emphatically "The Key".of the Ex-
hibition. This is in fact and in reality a master-key
to all the looks throughout the building, and has
been wrought by Messrs. Chubb, entirely by hand,
out of a solid piece of steel. It was enclosed on this
occasion in a crimson velvet bag ! With this, the

ceremony which was appointed to be held under the
western dome was brought to a close. The proces-
sion was, as the phrase goes, reformed ; and crossing
over to the northern side of the nave, passed along
the space enclosed within barriers on that side and
with the pipers of the Scots Fusilier Guards
" skirling" behind it, proceeded slowly along until
the space in front of theorchestra under the eastern
dome was reached. At this spot had assembled a
number of distinguished personages. Here were
placed the only members of the Royal Family, be-
sides the Chief Commissioner of the Queen, who
were present on this occasion, namely, the Duchess
of Cambridge and her daughters, the Grand Duchess
of Mecklenburg Strelitz, and the Princess Mary of
Cambridge. The diplomatic corps were here as-
sembled, and a considerable number of noblemen
and gentlemen, ex-ministers,ex-chancellors, and the
Japanese ambassadors.
On the platform seats were provided for the
members of the procession, and as soon as every
one had been accommodated—an operation which
did not occupy any unnecessary amount of time—
the orchestra, under Mr. Costa, commenced the very
important part of the ceremonial which had been
committed to their charge.
MEYERBEER'S GRAND OVERTURE.

The first piece of the special music was Meyer-
beer's grand overture. Its effect on the whole did
not disappoint the expectations of those who heard
it. It consists of three divisions or movements. In
the first, a short introductory passage, calculated to
awaken the attention of the audience, leads into a
triumphal march, in that grandoise and imposing
style with which all who know Meyerbeer's prin-
cipal operas are familiar. No composer excels him
in the art of adapting instrumental music to vast
localities. Of this Triumphal March it may well
be said, that " Jove's own thunders follow Mars'
drums," for the thunders of the orchestra rolled
through every corner of the building. The second
movement was a religious march, of a subdued and
mournful character. This is, perhaps, the finest
part of the work, and yet it was comparatively in-
effective, simply because it was imperfectly beard
by nine-tenths of the audience. In this movement
the stringed instruments are chiefly called into ae-
tion ; and it is well known that in music performed
in the open air (as this music may be said to have
been) it is Limpossible to produce, by means of
stringed instruments, a full and resonant body of
sound. The last movement, however—a quick
marsh, or pas redouble, full of fire and energy,
again arrested the general attention ; and when
the inspiring strain of "Rule Britannia," ming-
ling with this quick march, and rising by degrees
to a marvellous climax of power and grandeur,
brought the piece to an end, loud acclamations
hailed this triumph of genius and art.
DR. BENNETT'S OLE.

There was a short pause, and then Dr. Sterndale
Bennett's Ode began, conducted by M, Sainton. It
was admirably executed, and being a choral work
—of all kinds of music the most suitable for per-
formance on such an occasion as the present—its
effect was complete, and it was felt that Teanyson's
magnificent poem was united to music worthy of
it. Bennett's music in the official programmes is
called a chorale; a title which gives an erroneous
idea of its nature. The word chorale is technically
used to designate a psalm or hymn tune ; whereas
this is a work on a large scale, and of grand though
simple structure. Still it is not entirely wrong to
call it a chorale, for a chorale forms the subject of
the piece, and its impression is constantly kept up,
though it is expanded by episodes arising out of the
theme, and treated with consummate contrapuntal
skill. It opens with this choral subject; the whole
voices bursting, fortissimo, into the words, "Uplift
a thousand voices full and sweet," in four parts of
plain harmony ; and the same strain is repeated
with still greater force, and reinforced by the whole
strength of the orchestra. There is a pause, and the
voices, in the softest and most subdued tone, take
np in the relative minor the mournful words,
0 silent father a our kings to be,
Mourn'd in this golden hour of jubile,
with an effect inexpressibly pathetic. It struck us
as remarkable that though this movement was sung
pianissimo from beginning to end, yet not a note of
it was lost, owing to the breadth and simplicity of
the melody and the harmony, together with the
naturally penetrating quality of the human voice,
which no instrument possesses in an equal degree.
After this beautiful passage there comes a piece of
choral recitative, in which the voices of each part,
singing (or rather speaking) in unison, describe the
varied riches of the Exhibition—a part of the poem
extremely difficult to treat musically, but this mode
of treatment is equally ingenious and happy. There
is then a recurrence of the opening chorale ; but
the melody, being sung in a quicker time, and ac-
companied by the orchestra in a florid style, as-
sumes o. more flowing and. airy character. This
change occurs at the passage in the poem which
begins

And let the fair white-winm'd peacemaker fly,
To happy havens under all sky.
The poet's idea is here beautifully expressed, and
echoed, as it were, by the music. After this pas-
sage has been largely developed, by a variety of fine
modulations and effects of harmony, the piece is
brought to en end by a few great chords, " alla
breve," uttered with the whole power of the voices
and instruments. This grand work produced a
profound sensation. The deep silence which pre.
wailed during its performance enabled every part of
it to be clearly heard, and the loud and prolonged
applause which resounded through the whole
building showed the effect it had produced.