The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-09 00:00:00

THE LEEDS MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

LEEDS, SEPT. 8.
From the time of her Majesty's departure yesterday till
long after midnight the streets of Leeds were thronged
with one of the densest and at the same time most well-
conducted multitudes ever assembled from various parts to
assist at a ceremony of more than ordinary interest.' A
salient characteristic of the crowd was its exuberant loyalty.
To hear "God save the Queen" and "Rule Brithnnia"
from so many perambulating choirs, one might have
thought they had all been taught by Mr. Hullah, and that
the director of St. Martin's-hall had limited his course of
instruction to the national airs. Some parties contented
themselves with unison, and were triumphantly successful;
others were ambitious enough to aim at part-singing, when
the result was not quite so satisfactory ; nevertheless, in
every instance, the genuine heartiness of the performers
made up for such short-comings as might, under other
circumstances, have been likely to offend ears attuned to
harmony.

The illuminations were famous, especially in the street
called Briggate, which quite dazzled and perplexed the eye
with fantastiC emblems and transparencies, all the way from
the bridge across the Ayre to the opposite extremity ; but so
closely packed were the crowd, so countless the vehicles of
every description—of which omnibuses and catts, literally
alive with human beings, were the most numerous and con-
spicuous—that locomotion was a difficult problem to solve
until a very late 'period of the evening. And yet, whenever
bands of instrumentalists were heard-playing, or companies
of singers vociferating, the welcome strains of the national
anthem, the otherwise immoveable mass gave way, and the
musicians—allowed to accomplish their harmonious
"rounds"—passed onward without let or hindrance. Not
only were the streets thus busy, thronged, and animated,
the windows of every house were open, and those who,
from timidity or any other cause, would not venture out of
doors, were almost equally diverted by gazing at the scene
below without sharing any of its dangers—thus indulging
in the advantageous position of the -philosophical looker-on
described by Lucretius. Such a day and such a night had
never before been known at Leeds—the " praty market
town, having one paroche church, reasonably well builded,
and as large as Bradforde, but no so quick," so ingenuously
described by Leland.

The performance of "Elijah" at the Town-hall this
morning, which attracted an audience of more than 1,800
persons, was a good beginning, since it decided three ques-
tions of no small importance with reference to future under-
takings, and all three favourably—first, the acoustic pro-
perties of the building ; 'second, the wisdom of the policy
which led to the appointment of an English conductor, in
the person of Professor Bennett ; and third, the position
which the Leeds Festival will have a right to take, if things
continue to be managed in the same way—a position, it may
be as well to state without further preliminary, second to
none. In one respect the Oratorio of Mendelssohn fared better
than on any previous occasion in our remembrance since it
was last conducted by the composer. We allude to the exact
faithfulness with which the times of every piece were in-
dicated, from the overture to the last chorus, a point of the
highest consequence. By this innovation on a custom that
has recently prevailed of huriying the times in almost every
instance—than which nothing can be more detrimental to
the general effect, and nothing more inimical to the balance
so indispensable to a proper appreciation of the whole—the
gain was manifest. Every point contained in the score,
whether for voices or for instruments, came out with un-
wonted clearness, and thus numberless beauties were re-
vealed that are too often altogether lost. Not a measure,
not an accent, not a detail in this great work but has its
purpose ; and if the ear, no matter from what impediment,
is unable to comprehend them all, it is impossible for the
mind to grasp the entire meaning of the composer, just se
much of whose intentions are neutralised, if not indeed
frustrated. There are very few words in which the orches-
tra plays a part of such significance as in "Elijah." Every
piece—choral, concerted, or solo—owes much of its expres-
sion to the instrumental colouring ; and that Mendelssohn
was one of the greatest of musical colourists. (if the term
may pass) is universally admitted. The effects to be pro-
duced by the comparatively unaided choir had been already
pretty nigh exhausted by the incomparable Handel, the
only way to approach whom so nearly as Mendelssohn has
done in "Elijah" was through the medium of the or-
chestra. The score of "Elijah" is a model regarded
from £his point of view alone. The instruments almost
speak with the eloquence of human voices ; each has its
marked and individual character ; to each a part is as-
signed that distinguishes it from its companions. Of
this peculiarity endless examples might be cited ; but as
time presses (an inconveniently brief interval elapsing
between the termination of the Oratorio in the Town-hall
and the hour at which the "express". starts for London---
-1 p.m.), we must be satisfied at present for having mug'
gested its consideration. Enough, however, has been said
to show how necessary it is, in such a composition as
" Elijah," that the composer's instructions with regard to
the time of every piece should be in all cases religiouslY
obeyed, and to account in a great measure for the unquali'
fled and truly musical success of to-day's performance.
Professor Bennett—himself a Yorkshireman, having
been born in Sheffield—was honoured with a genuine York-
shire welcome on appearing in the orchestra, and a burst of
the heartfelt applause proclaimed the satisfaction of the
audience at the end of each section of the Oratorio, which
was happily allowed to proceed without any interruptions
in the shape of those unseemly " encores" that protract the
duration without in any way increasing the enjoyment of
the performance. The principal singers were Madame
Novello, Madame Weiss, Miss Palmer, Mr. Sims Reeves,
Mr. Santley, and Mr. Weiss; the duet, "Zion spreadeth
her hands for aid," being allotted to Misses Helena Walker
and Crossland, while Miss Freeman, Messrs. Inkersall,
Winn, and Hinchiffe took part in the double quartette,
"For He shall give his angels charge." Mr. W. Spak
presided at the organ. With this general notice we must
now desist, premising that there still remains much to say
of the performance which has thus brilliantly inaugurated
the maiden festival of Leeds.

Nothing can be more auspicious than the weather, and
although her Majesty the Queen has departed, the excite-
ment is by no means allayed. All the streets contiguous to
the Town-hall were crowded from an early hour this morn"
ing ; and the festival proceedings excite universal curiositY
and interest.