The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-09 00:00:00

CRYSTAL PALACE.

There must be something attractive to an ex-
traordinary degree in the singing of children, at
least when they join their voices together in large
numbers. The annual gathering of the schools at
St. Paul's and their vocal performances never fails
to create intense interest and excitement, and invari-
ably draws an immense crowd of visitors to the
cathedral. The meeting of the children of the me-
tropolitan charity schools at the Crystal Palace was
no doubt suggested by the success of the annual
affair at St. Paul's; and as, when the great Handel
orchestra was finished, it was seen that a far larger
number than could be placed in the choir of a cathe-
dral could be accommodated therein, a more com-
plete and powerful performance was anticipated
by simply employing a greater numerical force.
The meeting of the schools yesterday involved all
I that success and excitement which we have had
occasion to chronicle for the last five or six years.
More than 25,000 visitors were present, and all
seemed in the highest degree gratified with the
performance of the children. Forty-two schools,
mostly from the eastern and south-eastern districts,
contributed their quota of singers ; and the whole
force reached nearly the large number of 5,000—a
force which necessarily filled almost to repletion
the great orchestra. The appearance of the chil-
dren on the platform, in their neat and simple
costumes, has often been described, and is, indeed,
no less imposing—and to some would seem more
fascinating—than the ladies of the festival choir in
their brilliant toilettes, which induced several im-
pressible scribes to compare them to beds of flowers
The selection comprised the Old Hundredth
Psalm ; Christmas Hymn (" Adeste Fideles)
Luther's Hymn, Great God, what do I see;" the
"Hallelujah" Chorus, from the "Messiah ;" God
and King of Jacob's Nation," from Mr. Costa's
" Eli ;" Hymn, "Children of the Heavenly King"
(Durham); Luther's Chorale, " God is our refuge"
y
Meyerbeer has so largely (that whichappropriated
in the" Huguenots ;""Jcrusalem,the Golden ;" Men-
" Sleepers, wake ! a Voice is
delssohn's Chorale,
Calling ;" and the "National Anthem." As may
readily be surmised, the plainer the subject the
better told the unison performances of the youthful
voices, which we may say at once were wonderfully
bright, pure, and fresh throughout. Indeed the
voices of the charity children assembled yesterday
may be praised without qualification, and are finer
to our thinking than we remember to have heard
them on any former occasion.
The conductor, Mr. Henry Buckland, was inde-
fatigable at his post, but indeed had less trouble
than one might have imagined, as every boy and
girl seemed perfectly au fait at his task, and on
no occasion had to consult the books for words
or notes.

The concert commenced at three, and concluded
about half-past four, so that the visitors—and what
was of more consequence,
thejuvenile choristers—
had plenty of time to enjoy themselves within and
without the Palace ere they were summoned home-
wards. Fortunately the weEther was beautifully
fine, and not a single contretemps occurred to spoil
the day's festivities.