The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-27 00:00:00

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BRADFORD TRIENNIAL MUSICAL

FESTIVAL.

FIRST DAY.

The great musical carnival in this town, to which
so many have looked forward with interest, if not
excitement, commenced yesterday morning. Had
any person, ignorant of the event, entered the
town on Monday or yesterday, they could not but
have observed many signs of something unusual.
In the neighbourhood of St. George's Hall long
wooden railings dividing the streets longitudinally
into compartments for foot passengers, cabs, and
carriages, so as to prevent obstructions, collisions,
and accidents, were erected, and the lines of route
to be taken at the commencement and close of each
performance were publicly announced.
For some weeks past Mr. Jackson, the chorus
master, had been exercising his troupe, and on
Friday last M. Costa arrived, and drilled them
efficiently in his own " Eli." In the course of
Monday the whole of the principals arrived, except)
Piccolomini, who does not appear until Thursday
evening, and in the course of two long rehearsals
the singers went triumphantly through the whole
or most of their allotted parts.
Shortlyafter half-past ten yesterday morning the
lines of route became thronged with cabs, carriages,
and foot passengers, and the spacious hall began to
fill, and at the hour announced for the commence-
ment of the festival a vast and brilliant assembly
crowded it in every part, including the Earl and
Countess of Harewood and party, the Lord Bishop
of Ripon and lady, Lord and Lady Hawke and
party, and a long list of distinguished persons front
a distance ; and among them and in the side
stalls we observed the most distinguished citizens
of Bradford and the principal towns in the district.
At half-past 11 the band and chorus, numbering
350, were in their places, and were soon followed
by the principals in the oratorio—Mesdames No-
velle, Weiss, Garcia, Sherrington, Huddart, and
Crosland ; Messrs. Reeves, Weiss, Smith, and Brad-
ley, and all were received with thunders of applause.
The proceedings commenced with the National An-
them, the solo part by Clara Novelle, who appa-
rently did her utmost to please, and was eminently
successful, her clear and full-toned commanding
voice ringing through the vast hall like the intona-
tions of a bell. Mr. Weiss, who is admitted to be
the best interpreter of the character and music of
the " Prophet" in the kingdom, sustained his high
character from the beginning to the close. Hence
the great burden of the labour lay principally upon
his shoulders ; his rich, full-toned, and swelling
voice was in excellent order, and his commanding
execution was universally admired. Mr. Sims
Reeves also, as Obadiah, performed his parts with
his usual ability, but as these were few, and pos-
sessed few commanding points, less scope was dis-
played for criticism. The recitative and air,
beginning " What have I to do with thee, 0
man of God !" were given by Mr. Weiss and
Miss Sherrington in a high state of beauty and
excellence, and the recitative beginning "As
God the Lord," in a manner equally splen-
did. These were perhaps the portions of the whole
composition which moot electrified the audience, and
most displayed the unity and precision, and hence the
excellent training of the band and chorus. No less ad-
mirable than the principals was the chorus in "Baal, we
cry to thee," and the recitative beginning "0 man of
God." In this part of the:composition most energy was
required, and it was put magnificently forth. In the
second part Clara Novello gave a beautiful rendering of
the air, " Hear, 0 Israel ;" and Madame Viardot Garci ti
shone to advantage, as the Queen, in the recitative be-
ginning " The Lord bath exalted." But in point of
execution nothing was, or could be, more beautiful than
the rendering by Mesdames Novelle, Garcia, and Weiss
of the trio of angels, "Lift thine eyes to the mountains,
whence cometh help;" and in this they were encored—a
practice in an oratorio much to be condemned, as it
seems a breaking asunder of the links which bind it in
one, and gives it altogether too much of a theatrical air.
It would be extremely difficult indeed to choose out of a
composition of such length all the parts best sung, or
any 'which could he pronounced asabsolutely indifferent.
All cannot possibly be first-rate, or the rules of compa-
rison would be ended ; but in the performances under
consideration all seemed to exert themselves to gratify
and pleat,e. Miss Fanny Iluddart possesses a contralto
voice of moderate quality. Miss Sherrington rises on
her soprano voice with a bolder sweep, and will attain
higher excellence, and if she cannot rival Sunderland or
Novello, she will yet occupy no mean position. The
Yorkshire chorus sustained the reputation they have so
sedulously toiled for and earned.