The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-26 00:00:00

CANTE td3U aY HALL.

Does Anybody know it ? Rather we should say,
does Everybody not know it ? A magnificent saloon—
when once you are inside—lofty, brilliantly lighted,
admirably proportioned. Its whereabouts may be de"
scribed in a few words accurately: Crossing Weitminster-
brid'ge from. Westminster—traver,ing Lambeth-road—
passing Astley's Amphitheatre—going under the R til•
way Arch, and then turning sharp to your right, a very
few paces bring you to the entrance of your proposed
destination—CANTEUßUßT HALL, the Great Nightly
Concert Room of the Metropolis !

And what may this wonderful Canterbury Hall look
like (the uninitiated may ask) when you are in it ? Well,
really and truly, with a difference here and there in
some of the details—(a difference almost invariably
to the advantage of Canterbury Hall)—it looks for a!1
the world marvellously like "The Temple of the Muses,'
as described by Mr. Di-raeli in his famous romanca o f
Sybil, or the Two Nations. You a-cend a broad stair-
case ; you pass through a spacious, and yet at the same
time circuitous, vestibule ; and you enter the-ball it4eif
It is evening. hundreds are there assembled together—
an audience the most motley, and yet the most decorous.
Gentlemen and artizaus—men and women just a. one
sees in any large Parisian cafe. or suburban estantinet,
.ir provincial cabaret of the better sort among our gallant
and vivanious neighbours. Yonder, in one little group
—a family party obvion‘ly—everything seems to haye
ended as one of Boz's Sketches ends, "in shrub, abet*,
and excitement." Yonder, again, is some solitary dad
philosophic man-about-town consuming his weed in silent
meditation, contemplat:ng the ways of the world as
seen around him, and calmly enjoying the evening's
entertainment. And that for the most part consists of
Music ! Music—c )mic and sentimental. Music—

vocal and instrumental. Music—in solos, duets, glees,
quartet; quintettes, sextettes, septette, chorussea, and
madrigals. Simple popular ballade, and elaborate ope-
ratic morceaux. Music ever changing and scarcely
ever interrupted. And all the senile the melodious
sounds are rising from the elevated platform at the
upper extremity of the Hall, the audience are enjoying
creature comforts to their hearts' content in the shape
of divers simple viands, and delectable beverages. A
light gallery runs round the hall at some elevation— %
gallery as much frequented by the Faneur with his hat
on one side and a cheroot protruding from his
moustache, ae the body of the hail itself is
frequented by honest Tom, Dick, or Harry,
from some workshop hard by, bringing his wife or his
sister out for an hour's " pleasuring," while he enjoys
his clay pipe over a measure of Burton. Altogether—lit
up resplendently with gas burning in cut glass chande-
liers, resounding with melody, and crowded with the
most diversified audience anywhere to be seen in all
this vast world of London—the scene presented night
after night in Canterbury is essentially French I And
being so, we need hardly add, it is also essentially pic-
turesque and exhilirating.
But we have spoken of Mr. D'sraeli's Sybil and its de-
scription of the "Temple of the Muses"—a haunt familiar
.to Mick, and Morley, and Devil'edust, and their com-
panions. Here is that description, dashed off with a
luminous penc 1, in one of his happier moments, by that
very versatile gentleman, the Right Hon. the L'ader of
Her Majesty's Opposition. It is the very Ditto of
Canterbury Hall in many particulars, if we merely pre-
mise that the pictorial decorations of our London
"Temple of the Muses" are outside the Temple itself,
and confined entirely to the vestibule. Quoth Mr.
Disraeli :

_ .
"A handsome staircase with bright brass banisters
led them to an ample landing-place, on which opened a
door, now closed, and by which eat a boy who collected
the tickets of those who would enter it. The portal was
of considerable dimensions and of architectural preten-
sion ; it was painted of a bright green colour, the pankle
gilt. Within the pediment, described in letters of
flaming gas, you read, 'The Temple of the Muses.'
Gerard and Morley entered an apartment very 'long and
sufficiently lofty, though rather narrow for such propor-
tions. The ceiling was even richly decorated ; the walla
were painted, and by a brush of considerable power.
Each panel represented some well-known scene from
Shakspeare, Byron, or Scott ; King Richard; 11/I,ixeppa,
the Lady of the Lake, were easily recognised ; in one
panel, ;Hubert menaced Arthur; here Haidee rescued
Juan ; and there Jeanie Deans curtsied before the
Queen. The room was very full ; some three or four
hundred persons were seated in different groups at dif-
ferent tables, eating, drinking, talking. laughing, and
even smoking, for, notwithstanding the pictures and the
gilding, it was found impossible to forbid, though there
were efforts to discourage, this practice, in the Temple
of the Muses. Nothing, however, could be more de-
corous than the general conduct of the company, theueh
they consisted principally of factory people. The waiters
flew about with as much agility as if they were serving
nobles. In general the noise was great, though not
disagreeable ; sometimes a bell rang, and there was
comparative silence, while a curtain drew up at the fur-
ther end of the room, opposite to the entrance, where
there was a theatre, the stage.raised at a due elevation,
and adorned with, side scenes, from which issued a lady
in a fancy dress, who sang a favourite ballad ; or a gen-
tleman elaborately habited in a farmer's costume of the
old comedy, a bob-wig, silver buttons and buckles, and
blue et:eking', and, who favoured the company with that
melancholy effusion called a comic song. Some nights
there was music on the stage; a young lady in a white
robe with a golden harp, and attended by a gentleman
in black mustachios. This was when the principal
harpiete of the King of Saxony and his first fiddler hap-
pened to be passing through Mowbray, merely by accie
' dent, or on a tour of pleasure or instruction, to witness
the famous scenes of British industry. Otherwise the
audience of the Cat and Fiddle, we mean the Temple of
the Muses, were fain to be content with four Bohemian
brothers, or an equal number of Swis4 sisters, The
most popular amusements, however, were the 'Thespian
recitations,' by amateurs, or novices who wished to be-
come professional. .They tried their metal on an audi-
ence which could be critical."
Canterbury Hall to a nicety, without the Thespian re-
citations. Music being the exquisite substitute for mere
declamation. In lieu of the "stage," at the upper end of
the saloon, being the platform already mentioned. A
platform, at the back of which, in the end-wall, is an
archway surmounted by a sculptured group in alto-
relievo—frorn under which mysterious archway appear
in turn the Vocal and Instrumental Performers. Several
of these wonderful favourites--conspicuous aiming them
Sax COWELL—himself veritably one of the Sights of
London ! Such, briefly and literally, is Canter-
bury Hall the Evening's "Temple of the
Muse'," for the throng of music-loving, tobacco
smoking, convivial, yet respectable Lo ,loners. A
sort of neutral ground for the assemblage of variou
contrasting and hitherto scattered classes, brought to-
gether for a while during their leisure hours by mane of
the ingenious Originator of this eminently agreeable and
popular entertainment.