The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-09 00:00:00

WORCESTER MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

WORCESTER, SEPT. B.—The third concert, liven last
evening, attracted an overflowing audience. All the
tickets were sold out at an early hour in the day, and
before the commencement of the performance the hall
and the approaches to it were so thronged with visitors,
amongst whom the ladies preponderated, that it Was
found necessary to take the doors of the hinges in order
to cff id a chance of hearing to those who could not get
further than the lobby. There could not have been less
than twelve hundred people present.
The first part of the concert consisted of a selection
from Weber's Oberon, a magnificent work, every phrase
flowing fresh from the fountains of genius, and the or-
chestral combinations displaying' the most profound eru-
dition. In the conducting of this performance, Mr. Done
showed a sound appreciation of the authbr's intentions.
The orchestra and the storm symphony were given with
remarkable spirit and effect. The principal vocal
parts were allotted to Madame Castellan, Miss Dolby,
the Misses Williams, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Luckey,
and Mr. Machin. It was rather unfair, how-
ever, upon Madame Castellan, after her ex-
ertions throughout the long morning performance at
the Cathedral, to call upon her to deliver the difficult
and trying music in which this work abounds ; never-
theless, she exerted herself with wonderful spirit, not-
withstanding her obeiouilitigue, and. commanded a
general burst of applause in,_ the recitative and air,
too
we much ch
have fk r he r
" Haste, gallant knight;" and again with Miss Dolby,
in the duet, " Joy, we are rescued!" The recitative
and
physicala i r
powers,
On
en r the
h e
underoceant'
h'
circumstancesw
almost
no-
ticed. Mr. Reeves threw considerable spirit into his
great scene, including the air, " 0, 'tie a glorious sight
to see;" but his delivery, as on too many occasions, was
unequal, and in the pronunciation of the words there
was the same carelessness which we noticed in his per-
formanee of the morning. Mr. Luckey and Miss M.
Williams sung the duet, " Master, say," in a most
pleasing and effective manner. The choruses were given
with remarkable power and spirit, particularly that
accompanied by the march—" Now the evening watch
is set." The performance, however, though creditable
to those engaged in it, went off, on the whole, heavily.
l'hrre was something wanting which the stage could
only supply—a want which must always be felt, we ap-
prehend, when we attempt to give the music of an
operatic work in consecutive arrangement, apart
from the business of the scene which it was in-
tended to illustrate. The second part opened with
the overture to the opera of Zauberflate, so ca-
pitally given that it narrowly ecaped an encore, and
after that came a miscellaneous selection, consisting
chiefly of pieces familiar to the London audience, nearly
..very one of which was encored. Mdlle. Alboni was
encored in the caveat's "Elena, oh to ch. io chiamo,"
from the Donna del Lago, in her favourite scene from
" Betley," and in her duet with Labiache, "Oh guar-
date the figura!" Lablache was encored in the " Largo
al factotum.'' Mr. Sims Reeves was encored in the se-
renade from Don Pasquale, and the Misses Williams
were similarly honoured in their duet, " The Swiss
Maidens," by W. H. Holmes. At the conclusion of the
concert, " God Save the Queen," was. given, the princi-
pal verses being sung by Mdlle. Alboni, Miss Dolby, and
the Misses Williams.
To-day the regular business of the festival was
brought to a close with Handel's stupendous, and as yet
unrivalled oratorio, "The Messiah." The cathedral
was crowded—about as full as on the "Elijah" day, up-
wards of 1,100 persons being present. The performance
was given in a grand and impressive manner. In all
that depended upon the orchestra and the choir, there
was nothing left to . desire; their volume of tone filled
every part of the cathedral, while the precision which
marked all their movements was unimpeachable.
Madame Castellan, in the air, "Rejoice greatly, ()
daughter of Zion," did not quite come up to her exer-
tions of yesterday; she was evidently fatigued, and in
some passages, particularly on the words " greatly" and
" Jerusalem," failed to mark the syllables with that em-
phasis which all previous singers have displayed in this
piece. She was more successful in I know that my
Redeemer liveth." Mr. Sims Reeves seemed determined
to come out with his best exertions on the present Oen..
sion; and he was, to a certain extent, successful. He
gave " Comfort ye my people," and " Thou shalt
'leak them with a rod of iron," with a fulness of
tune which shows him to be possessed by nature of an
organ of fine calibre ; but, at the same time, he was a
little wanting in style—a thing which, young as he is,
he will have abundant opportunities of acquiring, if he
will only set his mind to it. .Mr. -Lockey sang the fine
recitative, " Thy rebuke hath broken his heart," followed
by the air, " Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like
unto his sorrow," with touching effect, and at the same
time in a manner happily free from affectaion. Miss!
Dolby sang " He was despised and rejected of men,"
with her usual good taste, though her voice seemed
rather deficient in that rich quality which it once gave
promise of.
The collection at the door to-day amounted to 2141.
Thus has terminated one of the most successful festivals
which has taken place in the course of many years
in this p tof the country. If it has not been as bril-
liant in a musical point of view as one might have
wished and expected, this result has been attribut-
able to no want of zeal or liberality on the part
' of the spirited noblemen and gentlemen who have
promoted it with their purses and their personal exer
Liens. Indeed, if we have met with any matters to re-
prehend, or visit with unqualified approbation, we think
it just to all parties to state that we have so regarded it
in a relative rather than in a positive point of view. The
marked and rapid strides made of late years in all that
relates to the executive in music, both in the metropolis
and elsewhere—wherever the influence of the metro-
polis has been telt—have necessarily created a nicer
taste in the public than existed in former years. So
rapid has been this change, that it cannot be attributed
as matter of blame to the musicians and musical ama-
tt of a distant provincial district that they
should not earlier have kept pace with it.
i It
be their own fault now, however, if, imagining
they have nothing to learn, they will not take sug-
gestions made only for their own advantage in a
friendly spirit. Some few observations of this sort
we have found occasion to make in the course of our
notices of the festival now concluded. We trust these
observations have not been taken in bad part by any
indivi.lual to whom they may be supposed, however
remotely, to apply. But even should personal vanity
turn a cold shoulder and a deaf ear upon ourselves and
our suggestions, we hope that those who have larger
interests at heart, namely, the support of a useful
charity, and the vindication of the musical reputation
of an extensive provincial district, will be induced to
act for themselves, and take such steps as maybe ne-
cessary to place their great festival upon a par with the
other great musical re-unions of the age.
There will be a grand ball this evening at the Town
Hall, with which the festival definitively closes.
We cannot conclude our present notice without
paying a merite.l compliment to the Rev. Mr. Sargent,
whose exertions as honorary secretary have been moat
assiduous, and marked on all occasions with the desire
to promote at once the objects of the festival and the
comfort and convenience of the public ---Clirehicle.

THE FAIRFAX FAMILY.--The long-announced
Memoirs of this distinguished and most interesting fa-
mily (prepared from one of the most complete collections
of family records, private papers, and letters, perhaps ever
made) is, we are glad to state, to be published in a few
days. In the whole circle of celebrated English families,
none can be found about whom a greater interest is felt,
identified as it is so intimately with the important strug-
gle in the seventeenth century between King Charles the
First and the Parliament. In many respects the re-
nowned parliamentary general resembled the illustrious
Washington, especially in his Singleness of heart and
noble uncompromising patriotism. Ilia military ca-
reer in defence of the liberties of his country, which
has won for him undying renown, is scarcely out-
shown, in its brilliant achievements, by the glories of
more modern times. The new letters and documents,
illustrative of the secret history of those momeetolis days
now first to be given to the public, will render the forth•
coming Memoirs and Correspondence of the Fairfax
Family of the utmost importance and valae.--Giobe.
WINDSOR CASTLE, FRIDAY EVENING.—Major-Ge-
e ever since
neral Bowles, Master of the Royal Household, arrived
Department,beenin
progress
a re in
ss theth there
inspect ion of
o
at the Castle yesterday, and was engaged for several
hours with the officers of the Board of Works, a
Loerd works nd the
s
her Majesty and the Court left Windsor for the London
season at the beginning of the present
tCrkhsts whichbmerlai haven'
Year. These
works are not yet entirely completed, and at
the close
of the inspection General Bowles urged upon the officers
the necessity of dispatch, in order that the place may be
ready before her Majesty's return from Scotland early
in October. It is to be hoped the injunction will be
attended to, for there is still much to be done—the work
having been in some degree impeded by the increased
influx of visitors to the state apartments since the open-
ing of the new line of railway from
Richmond to Ratchet,
and by the additional day in each week accorded fcr the
admission of the public by her Majesty, shortly before
Earl Spencer retired from the office of Lord Chamber-
lain. 'The average number of visitors to the state apart,
ments, during the last fortnight, has been from
tour to
five hundred a day, besides those admitted to the pri-
vate apartments by special Oder from the Lord Cham-
berlain's-office.
Mr. Bailey, poulterer in Mount-street, details the
large sums paid annually by Loudon salesmen for poul-
try. He states that one salesman alone sold eve,—y
year
100,0001. worth! that he had himself paid 81,000/. in the
course of the last year, and that 1.3,0001. was received
annually at Aylesbury for young ducklings; but to this
last item he,addesl the somewhat humiliating fact, " that
in Bucks the wives are in the habit of driving the chil-
dren from the hearth, that the ducklings might get the
benefit of tho are."