The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-18 00:00:00

Last evening the grand ball and concert given
by the Lord Mayor and the Corporation of the
City of London took place in the Guildhall.
All the arrangements, vast and complicated as
they were, involving large temporary structures,
elaborately decorated, and the transformation of
dingy law courts and public offices into brilliant
supper and dancing
rooms, were carried out with
a promptitude and completeness highly creditable
to the working committee. The Guildhall, rich in
historical associations as the ancient seat of civic
government, had been expressly fitted up for
the reception and entertainment of the invited
guests, under the direction of the committee,
and
of Mr. Bunning, the city architect. In advance
of the main building, and covering the greater
part of Guildhall-yard, a spacious and lofty saloon
had been erected, with commodious entrances,
lobbies, and side passages. The interior was
decorated in the Gothic style of architecture,
and ranged on the sides of the apartment
were 16 modelled and draped female figures. The
saloon was brilliantly sighted from the roof by star-
light burners of gas. Early in the evening it was
used as a hall of reception for the guests, and subse-
quently appropriated to dancing, an orchestral
bend being placed in a balcony over the eastern
entrance. Leaving the saloon, the visitors passed
through a vestibule—the ordinary porch of the
building—into the great hall, the arena of the as-
sembly of the citizens of London and of great civic
festivals. The hall, which was splendidly illumi-
nated, was arranged on this occazion first as a con-
cert-room, having a spacious orchestra at the
eastern end, and was afterwards devoted to dam-
ing. Over the orchestra, in the centre of the large
window, was a colossal figure, emblematical of the
city of London, welcoming all nations with ex-
tended arms. The window at the west end of the
hall had in its centre a pictorial representation of
the monument to be erected in commemoration of
the International Exhibition of 1851, beneath
which was placed a fine bust of his Royal Highness
the Prince Consort. Clustered columns, which
divided the side walls of the hall into compart-
ments of Gothic tracery work, were surmounted
by shields of arms of the principal incorporated
companies or trade guilds of the city, and
from the cornices above were suspended the flags
and banners of various countries, the columns
themselves being decorated with intertwining
branches of green foliage. In the intervening
compartments were affixed medallion representa-
tions, surrounded by gilt wreaths, of the arms of
the several nations who have contributed works to
the International Exhibition. On the battlements
of the screen by which the lower portion of the
walls were lined, and extending from trophy to
trophy, were shrubs and plants in every variety,
with festoons of flowers. In the courtyard, seen
from the opening on the north of the Aldermen's
Chamber, was a large scenic representation, with
water flowing over clusters of flowers in crystal
shades. The numerous lobbies and passages
throughout the entire building and its adjuncts
were draped with cloth of various colours, and
ornamented with shields of the city arms, the
cap of maintenance, and the sword and mace, sur-
mounted by wreaths and flowers; and in every
available recess were placed groups of flowering
shrubs and plants.
The company invited to the ball and concert in-
cluded the great officers of State, her Majesty's
judges, the members of the House of Lords, the
Foreign Ministers, the members of the House of
Commons, the Commissioners of the Great Exhi-
bition of 1851, the Royal and other Commissioners
of the International Exhibition of 1862, with the
Foreign Commissioners, the Committees of Ad-
vice, the Jurors, and all the distinguished
foreigners now in England, as well as the prin-
cipal merchants, bankers, &c. The invitations
sent to the Commissioners of the International
Exhibition alone numbered between 800 and 900,

The concert commenced at nine o'clock, the
vocalists being Miss Louisa Pyne, Madame Didiee,
and Madame Sainton Dolby ; Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr.
Weiss, Mr. Donald King, and Mr. Bewley. Herr
Joachim played a concerto on the violin. The con-
ductor was Mr. Alfred Mellon, and the band con-
sisted of nearly 100 performers. The selections
were well known favourites, and the entire concert
went off most successfully. Mr. Sims Reeves was
in admirable voice, and exerted himself to the ut-
most. Soon, after the concert commenced, the
large hall, and the approaches to it, were completely
crowded.

The company continued to arrive till past eleven
o'clock, when dancing commenced, and notwith-
standing that every available space was so well
filled, it was kept up with great spirit till an early
hour in the morning.