The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-15 00:00:00

HEREFORD MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

HEREFORD, FRIDXY.—TO-CLly is the closing day
of the festival, and, judging from the appearance of
the streets, it promises to be the best morning of the
series.

The performance of sacred music at the cathedral'
yesterday consisted of a selection from the works of
our best masters, including portions of Spohr's
oratorio Calvary, Beethoven's Service in C, with
Rossini's Stabat Mater, and a few other pieces. The
performances were opened with the introductory
movement and symphony from Haydn's Seven Last
TVords, a work at first, we believe, consisting of
instrumental pieces only, but which was afterwards,
on words being adapted to it, placed among the
oratorios. The selection from Calvary followed.
This is an oratorio more for professed musicians than
the general public, who regard it as being ponderous
and unattractive. This may account for its rare in-
troduction at musical festivals ; nowhere has it created
any very great interest, except at Norwich. The first
recitative and solo, " Though all thy friends," was
assigned to Madame Castellan, who game to it its ,
true devotional and pathetic character; and thei
chorus was well sustained. The air, by Miss. A.
liams, " When this scene of trouble closes,
"Bagrwla ovdee
lightfally accompanied by Messrs. i
(violin), Platt (horn), Lindley (violoncello),
ncello)and
Dove (pianoforte). After the Calvary
selection, the I
fine chorale from St. Paul was given as adapted by
~
Mendelssohn from Sebastian Bach. The Hallelu-
jah ;" in the chorale was beautifully given, and the
piece was encored. Mr. Sims Reeves then appeared
for the first time at the morning performances at this
festival, and admirably sang the air, " Sound an
alarm," from Judas Maccabceus, with the introdutery
recitative. The chorus, "We hear, we hear," was
given by the band and voices with exquisite perfec-
tion. After the full chorus " And follow the con-
quest," the sudden pianissimo movement, " If to fall,"
and the sudden crescendo told with beautiful effect.
Then came the great feature of the day, for such it
will ever he in the hands of such a finished musician
as Madame Castellan. This was the lovely air from the
Creation, which has formed the theme of so much
praise from every critic. What can we say of its inter-
pretation by the prima'donna, except that it was per-
fect ? It was the most finished performance, perhaps,
both by the singer and the band, that has ever been
heard within the walls of the three Cathedrals since
the days of the lamented Malibran, The whole was

rendered with a delicacy and artless simplicity which
no form of words can describe. It is almost needless
Ito add that a repeat was immediately called for, and
instead of wearying, the second performance, if pos-
sible, afforded more gratification than the first. 'The
remaining pieces of the first part, besides the service,
were the air from St. Paul, "Be thou faithful unto
death," by Mr. Lockey, with Lindloy's violoncello
obligato; the chorus in Jeptha, " When his loud
voice;"' and the choruses, "The heavens are telling"
(Creation), and "Father, we adore thee," from
Judah. The last named chorus was a beautiful per-
formance ; the fugue, " Glorify his name," was
cleverly taken up by the voices, and in the con-
cluding passages the string instruments were very
effective. During the performance of Beethoven's
Service the whole of the company present,: following
the example of the Lord Bishop, remained standing.
An interval of fifteen minutes was permitted before
the Stabat Mater was commenced. We are told that
this is the first time it has been performed at these
festivals, it having been rejected at one of the Wor-
cester festivals as unfitting for a cathedral. It is, in
fact, an entirely operatic composition, and more fitted
for adaptation to secular words. On the whole it was
well performed. Mr. Sims Reeves was, perhaps,
rather too clamorous in his solo, " Lord vouchsafe thy
loving kindness." The Misses Williams sang the
duet, "Power eternal ! Judge and Father," very
sweetly. In the curious chorus and recitiitive, by
Mr. Pnillips, "Thou haat tried," the solo parts were
given in perfect good taste, and the chorus was very
ably managed. The quartet, " Hear us, Lord," by
the Misses Williams, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr.
Phillips, was exquisitely given ; its difficulties had
evidently been carefully studied and mastered. It
was encored The collection for the charity amounted
to 1401.

Last night's concert at the Shire Hall (the last
evening concert of the festival) was a bumper. Every
part of the fine and spacious hall was crowded with
the elegantly attired belles of Herefordshire and their
beaux, including some of the first families in the
county. Lord Somers and his family were among
the visitors, both in the evening and at the cathedral
in the morning. Upwards of 500 persons were in the
concert room—the largest number, we believe, ever
brought together at any of the festival concerts given
at Hereford. The concert opened with a selection
from \Veber's opera of _Euryanthe, for which an En-
glish version had been expressly written for this fes-
tival by Mr. Ball. The grand overture was perfectly
rendered by the band, and indeed the whole of the
selection was most satisfactorily gone through. The
charming air, "Flowers of the valley," was exquisitely
given by Madame Castellan, and the glorious march
and chorus, " Hail, ye heroes!" was given with
the utmost precision and effect. Reeves was greatly
admired in the air, " Soft airs," and the cavatina,
" Where the Loire's bright waves meander." Miss
Poole's song, " 'Tis May," was a very pretty piece, to
which she did full justice. This young lady's talent
for music of a lighi and airy character are of no mean
order. The wedding march in Mendelssohn's over-
ture to Midsummer i\ight's Dream was magnificent.
Pity it was not appreciated by the audience. Some
of them appeared, however, too eager to get through
the concert in order to partake of the social amuse-
ments of the ball which followed. In the second part
of the concert Miss A. Williams's song, "A bird sat
on the greenwood spray," was encored. Sims Reeves
was splendid in his scena from La Sonnambula, he
was rapturously encored. Knyvett's glee, " The
midges' dance," by the Misses Williams and Messrs.
Hobbs and Phillips, was also encored. Phillips was
himself again in " Lascia amore," and Madame Cas-
tellan enchanted the audience in " 0 luce di quest'
anima," which was vociferously encored.
The ball after the concert was fully attended.