The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-27 00:00:00

THE-- --SUM- LONDON.. _ THURSDAY

Crystal ralace.—Vestival Benefit Concert.

This interesting event took place yesterday, tin-
der the most favourable auspices in every respect.
The weather was as bright and genial as could
be desired— a brilliant sun, a cloudless sky, and
pleasant breezes, combining to give all those exter-
nal attractions which have a large influence in
spite of the greatest powers of philosophical ab-
straction. The preliminary walk throng the grounds,
radiant with June flowers smiling under the brightest
of June suns, could not fail to put the mind of the
audience in a special state of genial predisposition
for the musical feast to follow. The fineness of
the weather and the special attractions of the con-
cert drew so large an attendance that the result
can scarcely fail to be largely conducive to the
intended purpose—that of contributing to the funds
for the restoration of the portion of the Crystal
Palace recently destroyed. As we stated in our
Monday's impression, the scheme of this festival
concert was no sooner suggested than offers
of assistance and co-operation poured in
from all source-3, to such an extent as
somewhat to embarrass the directors in the
task of choice and selection. This, however, was
very judiciouly exercised, and the result was a pro-
gramme of substantial and varied interest, the first
part of which consisted of the greater portion of
Mendelssohn's "Elijah ;" the second being devoted
to a miscellaneous selection, partly sacred and
partly secular. The orchestra comprised that of
the Royal Italian Opera, together with many of the
band of her Majesty's Theatre, the leading mem-
bers of that distinguished amateur orchestra known
as the " Wandering Minstrels," besides other volun-
teers—altogether numbering about 350 stringed
and nearly 100 wind instruments. The chorus con-
sisted of the London Festival chorus, that of the
Royal Italian Opera, and members of various other
choral societies, the aggregate number of executants
being about 2,500. The ready co-operation of all
these performers, of the great solo singers, and of
Mr. Costa, whose skilful control guided the whole
performance, was handsomely acknowledged by
the directors of the Crystal Palace Company in a
few lines appended to the books of the day, in
which they express " their obligations and thanks
to the distinguished conductor and performers
at the Festival Benefit Concert, who, with the
most disinterested kindness, have placed their
valuable services at the disposal of the
Crystal Palace for this occasion." For the
accommodation of the royal and noble visitors
who were expected to honour the concert with their
presence, a box divided into three compartments had
been erected on the stage of the theatre facing the
Handel orchestra, in which the performance took
place. The royal box thus improvised was fitted up
with great taste, each compartment being hung
with crimson and white drapery, and elegantly
furnished; the approach being by a vestibule filled
with beautiful plants and flowers encircling a miuia-
ture fountain, reflected in various surrounding
mirrors. This portion of the arrangements was ad- •
tnirably carried out by Mr. Wilkinson, who has the I

general superintendence of the fine arts department
and the flower shows at the palace. Precisely at
two o'clock, the hour announced, Mr. Costa took
his place at the conductor's desk ; and, with a pre-

minary flourish of the side-drums, the National

Anthem was sung, first by a semi-chorus of sopranos;
then, in the dominant, by a semi-chorus of altos ;
and, finally, in the original key, by full chorus.
Then followed the overture to Mendelssohn's
Oratorio, shortly before the termination of which the
royal and noble visitors entered the places assigned for
them and already referred to—the party including
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Prince
Louis of Hesse, the Prince of Teck, Prince Edward
of Saxe Weimar, &c. The selection from " Elijah"
comprised all the most important pieces from the
oratorio. Among the many choruses selected, the
splendid and dramatic invocation of the priests of
Baal, the graceful and melodious " Blessed are the
men," the grand and dignified " Thanks b 3 to
God" and " Be not afraid," and the exquisitely
melodious " He watching over Israel," were con-

picuous for the admirable precision and light and
shade with which they were given. The solos, by
Adlle. Titiens, Mesdames Rudersdorff and Swin-
ton-Dolby, Mr. Sims Reeves and Mr. Santley, were
given with that perfection which might be ex-

petted from those excellent artistes in nunic to
which they are so well accustomed. The miscel-
laneous selection commenced with Auber's overture
to " Masaniello," played by the enormous orchestra
with a power and brilliancy which at once called
forth a vociferous encore. Then Madame G-risi
appeared, and sang the Irish melody " The Minstrel

Boy," with such point and expression that a repa-
_.

tion was immediately demanded and as promptly
accorded. The enthusiastic reception given to
this artiste was such as should assure her that her
many great dramatic triumphs are still fresh
in remembrance. " Crude! perche," charmingly
sung by Madame Lemmens-Sherrington and
Signor Graziani, followed; after which Mdlle.

Adelina Patti sang " Let the bright Seraphim " in
those clear, resonant, and sympathetic tones, and
with that exquisitely fluent execution which have
before drawn down, as they did on this occasion,
prolonged peals of applause. The obbligato

;rumpet accompaniment was played by Mr. Thos.
darper with that pure tone and facile execution

which have long placed him at the head of

English trumpeters. The revolutionary duet from
_ _

" Masaniello," " Sia it morir " (" Vieux vaut
mourir "), splendidly declaimed by Signori Naudin

and Graziani, and the great scena, the " Invoca-
tion to Hope," from " Fidelio," impressively given
by Madame Vilda, led the way to Mr. Costa's

flowing and graceful trio " Vanne a colei," which

was at once encored--a tribute due to its intrinsic

merit as well as to its exquisite performance on
this occasion by Madame Adelina Patti, Signor
Mario, and Mr. Sims Reeves. An important item
in the programme was Madame Arabella God-

dard's brilliant pianoforte playing in Thalberg's
Fantasia on " Home, sweet home ;" after which,
the prayer from Rossini's " Mose in Egitto " was
sung by the chorus in a style that offered one of
the best specimens of choral perf 3rmance that we have
ever heard. This piece was another of the encores
of the afternoon, Signor Mario's finished singing
in the serenade from 'Don Pasquale;" Madame
Lemmens-Sherrington's refined version of Handel's
somewhat ad captandion, " Hush, ye pretty little
warbling choir ;" Mr. Sims Reeves' splendid decla-
mation in the war song from " Judas Maccabeus,"
" Sound an alarm ;" Ciniarosa's lively tria from. his
" Matrunonio Segreto, " Le faccio," sung with much
comic point and humour by Mesdames Grisi, Ruders-
dorff, and Sainton-Dolby ; and Mr.Santley's admir-
able singing of Polyphemus's air, " 0 ruddier than
the cherry" (from Han3el's " Acis and Galatea"),
terminated the solo performances--the concert clos-
ing altogether with the trio and chorus from llandel's
" Judas,"" See the conquering here." The whole
arrangements of the festival were excellent in their
comprehensiveness and effective administration. The
orchestral details were, as at the past Handel festi-
vals, under the able control of the committee of the
Sacred Harmonic Society ; and the local arrange-
ments affecting the accommodation of the public
(an important point on such an occasion) were ad-

nirably carried out by the energy and foresight of
the manager, Mr. Bowley, and the secretary, Mr.

George Grove.

A whole sleet of English yachts is at this moment
in the harbour of Dieppe. Amongst them are the Surf
Water Kelpie, Queen, Ellen, Pantomime, Zayda, Amulet

.Hine, &c.

THE MURDER IN KENT.—henry Roots, the
labourer who was arrested on suspicion of having caused
the death of the woman whose body was found in a wood
near Stoney Bridge, was again taken before the magis-
trates at Maidstone on Monday. The statements respect-
ing his having been soon near to the place where the crime
was committed, and of hair having been found near the
body like his, was repeated, but the bench, thinking the
evidence insufficient, discharged the prisoner.

WATERLOO SUBSCRIPTION. -AN AWKWARD
QUESTION. —A writer in a contemporary says :—After the
battle of Waterloo a very large amount of money was sub-
scribed for the benefit of the sufferers and survivors.
More than half a century has elapsed, and but few sur-
vivors aro left. What was the constitution of that fund ?
Was it sunk in the way of annuity to the pensioners, or
did they receive the interest only ? and, if so, where is the
principal, and what is the amount of it ?