The Sun.
London, England, 1825-09-09 00:00:00

StUSICAL FESTIVAL.

The following account of the chief Vocal Per•
formerS, engaged for this gland occasion, ap-
peared in The Leeds Independent of. the 6th
instant

MADAME CAttADORI was born in the Casa Patalani, ar.
i,lilah. Her father, the Baron de Munck, was a native of
Alsace, and held the rank of Colonel in the Freneli setice.
Bet -talents were cultivated without any professintial views,
but the death .of her father, and subsequent misfortunes, in-
duced her to turn themto a profitable employment. England
was chosen as the scene of her fast essay, and under the name
of Caradori, derived-from her mother's family, she appeared
at the King's Theatre, as the Page in Figaro, Jan. 12, 1822.
The circttinstaticeS Of her history, her youth and beauty, and
above all her ladylike deportment, imparted much interest to
her attempt, and it was crowned with complete success. Her
voice possesses g•eat sweetness and flexibility, and her intona,
tion is remarkably pore and just i to this is added an extensive
knowledge of her art, and the power of reading music with
such facility, that she can sing and accompany any vocal piece
at the first view.. In English singing she particularly excels
all foreigners who hale preceded her ; her pronunciation is dis 4
tinct, and her accent, only slightly, and we might almost say
pleasingly, indicates her continental birth. In August, 1823,
Madame C. married Mr. Allan, the, secretary to the King's
Theatre.

MADEMOISELLE (-Lancia was the performer in the highest
vogue in the private parties of fashion during the spring. She
made her first public appearance at the Philharmonic Cbncerti
on the 6th of June, and on the 7th made her debut at the King's
Theatre as Rosina in Il Barbiere di Siviglia; enjoying, (Luring
the remainder of the season, the higheA popularity—and that
too immediately subsequent to the-departure of Madame Pasta.
She is d Spaniard, interesting in her appearance, and, we be-
lieve, scarcely 18 years of age. Her knowledge of music is
moat ample, for which she is indebted to her father, a tefior
singer and teacher of the first rank. Her voice is a contralto,
good and even in its quality. Her execution' is highly orna-
mented and florid—perhaps rather too much so. By some
competent judges, she is pronounced the first singer in Europe,
superior to Pasta, and in the. same .style ; whilst by others she
is charged with a servile imitation of that performer. Ceitainly
no other female vocalist in the kingdom is at present so popu,.
lar, or so much the subject of conversation, especially among
the higher classes. Her engagement will afford an opportu4
nity of judging how far her pretensions to superiority are well
founded.

SIGNOn nE BEGNIS is a young Man, tall in stature, with
strong but quick and intelligent features, and a piercing eye.
His voice is a bass; he appears to have been trained in a good
school, and his tone is legitimate and pure. His power of rapid
pronunciation is complete, and it would scarcely be believed
that the human voice and tongue are capable' of such velocity.
He is nevertheless as distinct as he is rapid, and he cuts his
syllables so-finely, that the hearer scarcely ever loses any of the
distinctions of the character of the language. In these particit.
lars, Signor de Begnis is supreme : his humour, also, is pi.
quant and poignant, but it is never broad or course. lie is a
singer unquestionably of the first class.
MADAME Roxzr DE BEGNIS, the wife of Signor de Beg.
nis, is about the middle size, with very pretty and interesting
features. In execution she exceeds the great proportion of her
competitors; and in elocution, is scarcely a degree below Sig-
nor de Begnis himself, and hence the vivacity, precision, and
general superiority of their duets. The perfect consent which
they have attained is only to be gained by an immense quantity
of practice together. They are in every sense very eminent,
and we question whether at the moment there exist in Europe
two superior singers in their peculiar style.
Miss WlLxixsox is the daughter of Mr. John Wilkinson,
and grand-daughter of the well known Tate Wilkinson, of the
York and Hull theatres. She is also of musical descitut, her
mother having been a favourite singer, as Miis Reynolds, and,
if we mistake not, a niece of Mrs. Kennedy, a pleasing vocalist,
of Vauxhall celebrity. She has been under the instruction of
Signor Scappa4 Mr. W. Knyvett, and Mr. Greatorex. Her
voice is a contralto or mezzo soprano, of rich full tone, but
at times a little thick, and of moderate compass and volume.
—A slight resemblance to Madame Pasta may be ac. 4
counted 'for by their having had the same Italian master.—
Her manner is grateful, and her style smooth and polished,
but somewhat deficient at present in that force and contrast
which are not to be obtained without experience. She made
her first appearance in public at the beginning of the Ancient
Concerts this year on the 2(1 of March, when she Was eminently
- successful in Handel's contralto song " Return, 0 "God of
Hosts." Gluck's " Rasserena," and Handel's " Lord to
thee" and " Pious orgies," were also among her best per-
formances.

Mfss FAnnAn is a native or Halifax, and a pupil of
Mr. White of Leeds.—She is young, and as yet without the
advantage of having appearedin the metropolis, but we confi-
dently anticipate for her a high rank in the profession, when her
experince is more matured, and her judgement better informed.
Her physical powers are of a very high order-Aer intonation
clear, and the volume and rapidity of her voice quite extraor.
dinary in so young a performer.
Mr. H. PkftLr.ips is a young performer, gifted with consi..
derable and various talent. His voice Is a barytmie, moderately
powerful, and pretty nearly of the same compass as that of the
late Mr. Bartleman, the place left vacant by whose death may
justly be considered as filled by Mr. P. and that too in a man•
ner far beyond what could have been expected in so short a
time. Mr. P. is'only about 23 year of age—his tones are very
deep or full, but they are remarkably clear, flexible, and. dis-
tinct ; his manner is also distinguished by chastness and anima-
tion, and altogether he may be pronounced as a more valuable
acquisition in a department which was very inadequately sup.
plied. Mr. P. was present at the Wakefield Festival of last
year, where he made so favourable an impression as led to his
immediate engagement for York. He also sung at the Ancient
Concerts during the last season, where his performances of
Honour and Arms,'--4 The Lord zeorketh Wonders,'—' Lascia
&c. procured for him the highest encomiums. We be-
lieve that his father and mother were both members of the York
and Hull Theatrical Company some years ago.
Mr. TERRA'', is a gentleman of edueation and, talent, and a
finished singer in the limited branch of the art which he pro-
fesses. He is now the successor, as he ha, been the colleague,
of Mr. W. Knyvett, at the Ancient Concerts. As to his know.
ledge of sacred music, it is enough to say, that he holds the
situation, chiefly from his love of the art, of organist to the
Roman Catholic Chapel in Moorfields.
Mr. BRAHAM'S extraordinary powers and acquirements arc
so well known to the public, that it is unnecessary to describe
them.

It is generally understood that Sir W. KNYVETT and Mr.
ERSKINE, principal hautboy, both retire from the profession
after the York Festival.

, REMARKABLE ANIMAL.—A gentleman (Mr. J.
0. HYDE) direct from Oxford, called on us last
Saturday, and informed that two brothers, one
about 18, the other only 12 years of age, went
into the woods, about five miles below Oxford,
on Thursday the 12th ult. with two rifles, and
discovered a strange animal, about 30 yards dis-
tant from them. The oldest boy fired, and
wounded him in the breast and shoulder. He
turned, and made furiously towards the one who
shot him. The eldest then called for his brother's
rifle, who was about six rods distant. The younger
brother started with his rifle towards him, Wit
finding the animal would be too quick for him,
had levelled his rifle himself, and brought him to
the ground with a ball through his head. He
was brought in and measured, when he was found
to be eight feet in length, from the end of the
nose .to the root of his tail, which was five feet
long, making 13 feet in the whole. He was 3
feet 4 inches high when standing, his body about
the size of a man's he was of a red. dun colour,
had a face like a monkey, body like. a panther,
feet like a deer, and tail like a wolf. Mt. lifde
saw the animal himself.—(Boston