The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-09 00:00:00

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.

The performance of The Creation" drew au
immense coneoarse to Exeter-hal last nit!ht. Mr.
Sims Reeves (who, in consequence, we believe, of
the multiplicity of his provincial engeg meuts) has
not been heard iii London for a considerable time,
was announced to sing the tenor part ; but the
audience were informed, by a notice distributed m
the ball, that the committee had received a medical
certificate (of which a copy was given) stating that
Mr. Reeves was suffering from a serious attack of
illness, by which he was confined to his room, and
utterly unable to appear in public. The committee
at the same time, acknowledged Mr. Lockey's readi-
ness to undertake the music allotted to Mr. Reeves.
Mr. Reeves came to town only two days ago, in order
to assist at this performance ; and we are very sorry
to learn that the illness with which he has been
suddenly attacked is of a violent and even alarming
kind. His absence, however, could not be felt as
a great disappointment when his place was filled by
suoh a singer as Mr. Lockey, who, we need scarcely
say, sustained his part in a manner which left no-
thing to be desired. His great air, "In native
worth and honour clad," was a performance of ex-
quisite beauty. The soprano part was sung by Miss
Louisa Vinning, this being, we believe, her first ap-
pearance at the Sacred concerts. She acquitted her-
self admirably, and from this time must take a high
rank among our Oratorio singers. With a clear,
brilliant soprano voice, which is able to sustain
the C in alt without effort, she possesses perfect
truth of intonation, facile execution, and great
energy and feeling. The only thing approaching,
to a fault which we could observe was the occa-
sional introduction of embellishment where the com-
poser's own passages were sufficiently florid already.
This was the case in the bravura air, " With ver-
dure clad the fields appeared," in which she gra-
tuitously changed a passage very much for the
worse, and also made a clumsy cadence where the
plain notes would have been much better. Her
other great air, "On mighty wings," was an
admirable performance in every respect ; and she
sang tho sweet and tender music in the ast part,
belonging to the character of Eve, with great
expression and beauty. The bass part was sung
by Mr. Santley, who also appeared for the
first time at these concerts, but whose highly
successful debut at Mr. Hullah's concerts at
St. Martin's Hall we have already had occasion
to record. He was again entirely successful, and
is well entitled to a place among our singers of the
highest class. His education, we understand, has
been chiefly Italian, and for the stage ; but he
evidently knows how to turn it to good account in
applying it to music of a different kind. His voice,
though completely bass in its timbre, is free from
heaviness, and his " phrasing" has the grace and
smoothness of a tenor. His Italian tuition, too,
has taught him to speak. We have seldom heard a
singer whose elocution was more clear, emphatic,
and judicious.

The performance was excellent ; and the audience
evidently enjoyed with the utmost relish the
delicious freshness of an oratorio which, if not the
grandest in existence, is certainly the most
charming.