The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-11 00:00:00

CONCERT OF ANCIENT MUSIC.

These concerts still appear to be in the zenith of fashion amongst
• the nobility and the higher orders of the bean monde. The room last
• night, at the fifth of the present season, was even more crowded
than we ever remember to have seen it, and Ilanover-square and
• some of the adjacent streets were so thronged with carriages as, to
make it a matter of some risk for a foot passenger to attempt to cross
from one side the way to the other. The aristocratic leaven moreover
seemed to prevail on this occasion, and on this occasion in its utmost pu.
rity, for on the words " Coach uuhired," being bawled out at the close
• of the concert by some unlucky Wight, whose master has not, we pre_
' sumo, attained the indispensable luxury of keeping his " own carriage,"
the rest of the liveried assemblage in attendance outside were perfectly
struck aghast, and in angry tones ordered the hackneyman, who with
more zeal than sound discretion attempted to drive up to his fare, to " be
off." A valiant policeman, anxious for distinction, rushed up and seized
the horses heads, and in a twinkling the" mercenary" was no longer to
be found contaminating the vicinage by his presence. His Grace the
Duke of Wellington was the Director for the evening, and amongst
the Noble Visitors we observed their Royal Highnesses the Duke and
Prince George of Cambridge, his Grace the Archbishop of York,
Lord Burghersh, &c. &c. For the first time in our re_
membrance, although several Members of the Royal Family were
present, there was no guard of honour at the doors. Whether these
military distinctions are about happily to be done away—whether the
omission arose from so many troops being absent in Canada--or whether
a mere principle of economy dictated the omission, are questions we
must leave to be answered by those who are in the secret, which we ad_
mit is not our case at present. Gluck's noble overture to Iphigenia,
a work evidently in advance of the times in which that composer lived,
opened the concert, and we need scarcely say, with the " means and ap_
pliances" possessed by the orchestra of the ancient, went well. Mrs.
Seguin sang " Deh I se placer," from Mozart's Clemenza di Tito, very
charmingly, and would have sung it still better had she divested herself
of a certain air of timidity, which marred her best efforts. " Come I
(Mime! " from the Nina of Paisiello, Is not exactly the best selected
piece for a concert room, as a good deal depends upon the acting when
heard in its proper place ; still it was admirably sung by Mrs. Bishop,
Mrs. Seguin, and Messrs. Braham and Phillips. Mrs. Bishop in particular
distinguished herself by the exquisite feeling imparted to her share of
the composition. The fine chorus from Joseph, " 0 God ! who in
thy heavenly hand," was superbly sung. "Here in cool grot," the
very pretty glee of Lord Mornington (the father of the Duke of Wel-
lington) was introduced on this occasion ; whether selected by the Duke
himself, the Director of the evening, or placed in the programme as a
not very appropriate complimeat to his Grace, by his brother Directors,
is another question for the initiated, which we are unable to solve.
There was nothing parti9ular in the singing of the glee on this
occasion—no more than in the duet of Nasolini, " II tuo destino," by
Mrs. Alfred Shaw and Mr. Braham. Arne's " Hymn of Eve," " Howcheer-
fol along the Gay Mead," by Mrs. Knyvett, possessed no peculiar merit
to enable it to stand prominently forth amongst the mass of compositions
of the evening ; and Mozart's terzetto," Soave sia it vento," by Mrs. Bi
shop, Mrs. Shaw, and Mr. Phillips, although very fine and sung well
a dull and. heavy affair. The chorus " Glory to God," from,
Joshua, went well throughout and was peculiarly effective. In the " Se-
cond Act," which commenced with Winter's " Zaira," Mrs. Sha 1: sang
" Lord Remember Me in My Trouble" with great purity and chasteness
of style, and her splendid voice told forth most effectively; but ac-
complished and gifted as this lady undoubtedly is, a little more ani-
mation and spirit would not be amiss. The voice of the veteran
Braham is certainly not what it was ; still there is no man in exist.
cure at the present day who can sing " Deeper and deeper still," and
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recitative and air," My Prayers are Heard," and " Tears such as Fa-
ther's Shed," in his very best style, but at the late period of its introduc-
tion it was tedious. The concert concluded with " The Lord Shall
Reign," from Israel in Egypt. The solo parts were well sustained by
Mrs. Bishop and Mr. Braham, and the chorusses, with all the others in
the selection, were sung with great point and firmness. The concert as
a whole was rather a dull one, and the insufferable heat of the room
calls upon the Noble Directors, trumpet tongued, to lose no time in adopt-
ing some efficient means of ventilation.