The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-15 00:00:00

HEREFORD MUSIC MEETING.

HEREFORD, SATURDAY.—The meeting of the three
choirs of Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester, for 1846,
has now closed, and has proved successful beyond the
most sanguine expectations of all parties interested.
The collections for the charity for the relief of clergy-
men's widOws and orphans have exceeded considerably
those of former meetings, and so well has the festival been
attended on each day—the first concert proving the only
exception—that it is expected that the receipts will fully
defray the expenses of the professionals, fittings-up,
advertising, &e., &c. Should this turn out to be the
case it will form a novel feature in the history of these
festivals, for hitherto there has always been a deficiency
in this respect, and the stewards of the meeting have
been called upon to make up the difference out of their
private purses. Hence it is, that gentlemen have always
been very reluctant to undertake the duties and respon-
sibilities of the stewardship of these meetings ; and the
highest praise is due to the half-dozen gentlemen who
have so nobly taken upon themselves these responsibilities
on the present occasion. The stewards of the meeting just
closed are the Venerable the Archdeacon Vickers, the
Rev. R. L. Frier, D.D., Rector of Bishopstone; the Rev.
W. Hassell, Rector of Nurch Dewchurch; Joseph Bur-
ley, jun., Eq., M.P. for Herefordshire; Robert Puls
ford, Esq., M.P. for Hereford ; and W. Lacon Childe,
Esq., of Kinlet-hall, Salop. Of course it will be readily
understood, that the accounts of the festival cannot as
yet have been made up, but there is reason to believe,
that while a very considerable sum will be realised for
the Clergy Widows and Orphans' Charity, the expenses
of the meeting will be defrayed (or nearly so) by the
receipts for admission tickets to the cathedral, concert-
room, and ball-room. Yesterday, as was anticipated
would be the case, proved the crowning day. The Mes-
siah is a sure card—if we may speak thus irreverently
of this great work—in the provinces. It is the first
point of attraction with the young, and the old gladly
avail themselves of every opportunity afforded them of
listening to this well-remembered oratorio. Tho fine
old cathedral—though at present in a sadly dilapi-
dated condition—was crowded by a fashionable and
most attentive company. With regard to the execu-
tion of this immortal masterpiece of Handel yesterday,
to be brief, it was as near perfection as the fallibility of
human powers would admit of. The chief parts were,
as a matter of course, allotted to the leading vocalists
and instrumentalists ; and, well acquainted as they are
with every bar of the music in the oratorio, there were
but few points at which the most fastidious critic
coul I carp. Altogether the oratorio, which was given
entire, went off admirably. The choruses were not so
massive as those commonly heard at Exeter Hall, or at
rabnudteuthreaynd were,s
o
recaagn; be attained in
the Norwich or Birmingham festivalsly full t o
which n egviev
any place so well as in a cathedral. There were only
nl
eemv enri
tt
yh e lteos st,hseu ifimeui
se
inet
one or two slight hitches in the many choruses of this
oratorio ; but the " " And the glory,"
" For unto us," " All we, like sheep," "The Lord gave
the word," " Their sound is gone out," and the con-
cluding chorus, " Worthy is the Lamb," were given
with most impressive grandeur and effect. The Messiah
formed the whole of the morning's performance, and
was not concluded until four o'clock in the afternoon.
At its close the company proceeded to recruit them-
selves for the evening's concert, which was again well
attended. The first part of the concert consisted of
Mendelssohn's music to Midsummer Night's Dream ; the
Earl of Mornington's favourite glee " 0 Bird of Eve,"
admirably sung by Miss Birch, Miss Dolby, Messrs. t