The Sun.
London, England, 1838-06-02 00:00:00

TELLERS.

(Stanley, E. John—North Cheshire
Steuart, Robert—Haddington, &c.

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY

Last night, at Exeter-hall, one of the periodical Concerts of the above
Society took place. The Hall on the occasion was crowded in every
part with a most respectable auditory, a very great proportion of whom
were of the softer sex. We were, indeed, informed, that between three
and four thousand persons were present. The performance consisted of
Haydn's inimitable Oratorio, the Creation, which was given entire, and
executed throughout in a style highly creditable to the Society---in fact,
we have not the opportunity of hearing any thing on so extensive and
complete a scale, except at our provincial Musical Festivals. The band
and chorus were composed in all of above five hundred performers, and
amongst the former were so many professional gentlemen of known ta-
lent as to secure the comparatively well going of the mass. The ama-
teurs were, as usual in the chorusses, occasionally breaking in at those
places the composer intended the ears of the audience to have a slight
respite, but the mischief done in this way was trifling, and, on the
whole, the Oratorio was effectively and accurately performed. The
effect of " The Heavens are Telling," " Achieved is the Glorious
Work," " Proclaim in your extended course," and the joyous chorus
which terminates the Oratorio, " Praise the Lord," was magnificent. In
the last chorus but one mentioned above, th,. audience heard the baton
of the conductor rather too predominant, and, in our opinion, it
would have gone better if it had not been heard at all. The accompa-
niments to the vocal solos were beautifully played, and the effect of the
wind instruments in many parts was delicious. Miss Birch, Miss
Woodyatt, Mr. Hobbs, and Mr. H. Phillips, were the singers, and all
acquitted themselves with that excellence for which their high rank in
the musical profession was a sufficient guarantee. Miss Birch sang very
beautifully the charming airs " With verdure clad," " On mighty pens,"
and the duett with Mr. Phillips, " Of stars the fairest." Miss
Woodyatt's solos were " The marvellous work," and " 0 thou for whom
I am," which she sung with great feeling. She also sang with Mr.
Phillips the duett " Graceful consort," and in several concerted pieces.
Mr. Phillips's most successful efforts were " Rolling with foaming bid.
lows," and" Now heaven in fullest glory shone ;" and Mr. Hobbs sang
with chasteness and feeling the recitatives and airs alloted to him. The
orchestra was led with much ability by Mr. G. Perry. The oratorio
commenced at seven o'clock, and the whole was concluded, and the
hall cleared of company before ten.

CONCERT.

One of the best concerts given during the present season was
Miss Cooper's, (her annual benefit) which took place, last evening, at
the Hanover-square Rooms. Judging from the crowded, brilliant, and
fashionable audience who filled the rooms, we should say that Miss Cooper
holds a very high position in public estimation. Most assuredly this pa.
tronage was well deserved, not only by the personal talents and acquire-
ments of the lady herself, but by the excellent programme which she
presented for the evening's entertainment. To speak first of the fair
beng:ficiare—her accomplishments, both as a vocalist and instrumental
performer, are of the highest order; her voice is clear and melodious, pos.
seising great compass, and is capable ofbeing modulated into a rich variety
ofsweet and musical tones: nor is there wanting that perfect and easy
execution so indispensable to the effective display of vocal talent. The
facility with which Miss Cooper executed some most difficult movements
really surprised us. This was particularly manifested in her singing of
that delightful aria of Mozart's most beautiful II Don Giovanni, " Non
mi die," which was given with a purity of style and richness of tone that
merit the warmest encomium. In a quartetto from Rossini's Guillaume
Tell, " In questa navicella," Miss Cooper (in conjunction with Miss
Lanza, Signor Castellan, and Herr Kroft) proved that she could equally
accomplish concerted pieces. The duet " Folg*dem freunde mit ver.
tiaven," from that noble composition of the German school, Spohr's
Faust, was (for the first time in this country) ably sung by Miss
Cooper and Herr Kroff, and was much applauded. Another
excellent piece, a terzetto, " 0 dolce cam istante." (Cimarosa)
was finely given by Miss Cooper, Miss Lanza, and Mr. Wilson.
This reminds us of Mr. Wilson's " My Boyhood's Home," from
Rooke's delightful English Amilie ; it is a charming little ballad,
and is excellently sung by Wilson. It was well matched by Miss
Cooper's " Happy Land" (Rimbault), and the best things of the whole.
A grand duet " L'ltalie et L'lrlande," flute and harp, Herr, Ernst, and
Mr. F. Chatterton, was, perhaps, the best performance on these pleasing
instruments we ever heard : it was rapturously applauded. The instru-
mental portions of the entertainment were indeed unusually excellent.
Not the least admirable was Miss Cooper's performance on the piano
forte ; while Lindley, on the violoncello, Barrett, on 'the oboe, arid Baur.
nam on the bassoon, played on their respective instruments in most
masterly style. We must not forget some comic duets between Miss
Cooper and De Begnis, which were encored—nor an Improvisazione by
Signor Pistrueci, which excited great admiration and amusement.

L
_ esterday morning tne greatest excitement prevailed
in Clare-market and its neighbourhood, in consequence of the circulation
of a report that the mangled remains of a human being had been disco-
vered in a narrow passage leading from Clare street into Denzel-street.
At nine o'clock in the morning more thau two hundred persons had col-
lected in Denzel-street, and thelobject of curiosity lay by the side of the
curb-stone. Its appearance greatly resembled the trunk of a human
being, the head being severed, and within the inclosure of the ribs were
perceptible the heart, liver, &c, Information was immediately forwarded
to Bow-stret Police.office, and proper persons sent to investigate the
matter. The result was that the cause of such universal horror was
nothing more than the body of a sturgeon. This was confirmed by Mr.
Ingram, a respectable fishmonger of Clare-street; but even this as-
surance was insufficient to remove the idea which seemed fixed in the
minds of the bystanders, that it was a portion of a human being who
had been foully murdered. By twelve o'clock the crowd had increased
to such a degree as to render the street completely impassable, and many
came from distant parts of the metropolis to obtain a sight of the sup_
posed human fragment. On the repeated assurances of some medical
gentlemen residing in the neighbourhood, however, the incredulous mul-
titude began to disperse--a movement which was greatly assisted by a
verylhwy shower of rain, which commenced about three o'clock, A

THE SUN, LONDON, S