The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-12 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

14
p.„sslMoorgate-street."
ache. CHAIRMAN having put the question of the
Pt'an of the report,
s_. few matters
eenl-tain Wrusis congratulated the Proprietors on
the in`Preveinent in their affairs ; how ever, there were
U.. nder the
andiAin,g &c., and salaries of agents,t..
head of
which he wished for information.
of stations,
there was .
tabu increase this year of 1,500/., not
wi
hre
at last year they had been promised
effect
ainn'" oe a reduction under this head so as to ee
mount of 1,0001. Then the item of 'pilotag
afVnted to more than one-half of what the pilotage
is the whole British navy cost
n, know how it was that this item was so large. ki
last year. He wished....e
aismo desired an explanation of that item in the balauce.
tof the report "Insurance Account, unsettled
Claim on the underwiting of the Medina, 4,000/."_
The CHAIRMAN said that the increase in the item of
.atatisns agents, salaries, &c., in the last half of the
year over that Of the first half arose from the circum-
stance of several of the payments under this head
"elng made annually and not half-yearly, which
t,h,rew the heavier payments into the account of the
&'ast half of the year. With regard to the charges
WePilotage, &c., the Directors only paid what they
obliged to do. The port charges, which came
ilea
,3er this head, added greatly to the amount,
ft- ' in speaking of vessels of the Royal Navy
~, 'we, a to be borne in mind, that they had to pay
.no
--e" charges as port charges. Then the peculiar cur.-
,nl,Lstances of navigation in the West Indian seas—
isesn " the draft of water, the state of the weather,
toul ilia like, which frequently rendered it necessary
if all those matters
i,eiinela pilots a long time on board —caused great ex-
se In this respect ; but .
wereti taken into account, together with the number of
it the vessels had to
" ,ould be found that the sum was not
enter the various ports,
arose
with respect to the Medina, the unsettled claimt
been
int.°. a question of salvage which had not
nally
aniu adjusted, but he had reason to e
Mr. Would be recovered. expect that the
e . UE wished
ttecting the sum of 34,189/. 17s. 7d., the amount of
'tr.
M°llTA's for some explanaticn re-
'liten Company's Pally's claim against the estate of Acra-
- an" C. He wanted to know how it could have
eiened that so large a sum over what that firm were
uled to had been paid to them.
The c
1171.,, CHAIRMAN said that some time previous to the
rge of that house, the Directors, whiling to
s__ _ e the IA
inl_ ',lgoe tess..,,
Pa's— o their hands finished as soon as pos-
ad ot done
in much
greater difficult'
assistance for that purpose. If they
so th ld have been
ey shou .
ascertained
ies in the matter ; besyles, they had.
been kid 0 . the. .money they had advanced had
xi out in finishing the ships.
the r. Rinorw.vr complained that the Company paid
than officers in charge of their ships at a higher rate
. that at which the officers in the Navy were paid.
The CHAIRMAN
make between the salaries of their officers,
and those of the officers of the Navy. The comparison
should rather be between the payof their officers and
thatsa of
the officers belonging to a Cow.pany of the
_Tie kind, and he believed that if there was any
difference in that respect they were rather under the
rate of other Companies. It was their object to get
Ificient officers. If they gave oor ay the would
have inefficient officers. The captains and mates in
,_ encom. pany's service were as efficient as any to be
I°ll d in_ the service of any other Company, and he
did not think their pay extravagant.
-is., '''t• PROPRIETOR, whose name we understood to be ler. ry, revived the question of the loss of the Solway,
',tut took occasion to reiterate some of the complaints
that were so rife some time ago against the manage-
. •tnent of this Company's steamers. He particularly
.mentioned the Dee.
tneSr
, Mr. T. BARING said that, with respect to the Dee,
had lately had the highest approbation ex-
pressed by 20 passengers on board that vessel as to the
he and conduct of Captain. Hemsley, and as to
the general arrangements on board. In fact, the
Most flattering testimony had been lately borne by
nhumerous passengers respecting the management of
teir vessels.
. . The adoption of the report was then put and
- carried.
• Mr. Cotesworth and Mr. Hibbard were re-elected,
and Mr. T. Masterman elected, Directors.
- • The thanks of the meeting were then voted to the
Chairman and Directors, and
The CHAIRMAN having acknowledged the compli-
n ent, the meeting separated.

We understand that the Board -of Customs have
issued an order stating that the owners of fishing boats and
vessels can now be supplied with the Regulations concerning
the Fisheries between the British Islands and Frazee, at the
cost of
threepence each, on application being made at the
Brighton Custom House. We hope this may meet the eye
of
• -..-., most of our fishermen, who will no doubt gladly avail
theinselves of 30 trilling an outlay.—Brighton Paper. -
- - - - - - - .

Don Pasquale was performed last evening for the
frst time this season. The cast was the same as last
season, with the exception of the character of Ernesto,
which was, last evening, sustained by Signor Corelli,
in consequence of the illness of Mario. Handbills
were distributed throughout. the theatre, bespeaking
the indulgence of the audience for Corelli, who had
undertaken the part at a short notice. No indul-
gtnce, however, was required, for Corelli both sang
and acted admirably. He gave the celebrated sere-
nade in the third act, Corn 'e gentil, with exquisite
taste, and was rapturously encored. The quartette
at the conclusion of the second act was beautifully
given by Grisi, Corelli, Fornasari, and Lablache, and
.that also was encored. As to the Don
,Pasquale of
Lablache, all who know the opera have long since
come to the opinion that Don Pasquale and
Signor Lablache are, what the French Re-
public was declared to be, one and indivisible ;
and never certainly did the Don display a richer vein
of unctuous humour,than last evening. He was ad-
mirably supported by Grisi and Fornasari, and, taken
as a whole, the opera was never better performed.
The four were called for at the fall of the curtain,
and received with the accustomed honours. At the
conclusion of the opera there was a divertissement, in
which Mademoiselle Louise and M. Montassu danced
a pas de deux, being their first appearance at this
theatre. Mademoiselle Louise is very young and
very pretty ; her style of dancing is exceedingly
graceful and elegant, and she will no doubt prove an
acquisition to the theatre. M. Montassu is a first-
rate dancer. There is an aplomb about his style of
dancing which occasionally reminds us of Perrot, and
his tours de force were truly astonishing. They were
both much applauded This pas de deux was intro-
ductory to La Polka, which was danced by Carlotta
Grisi and. Perrot. They were attired in
.magnificent
Hungarian costumes, and went through the various
mazes of this truly fascinating dance with the utmost
grace and elegance. The dance itself very much re-
sembles the Craconienne, and Carlotta Grisi looked
most bewitching. She was aptil iuded to the echo,
and Most deservedly so. This dame is henceforth
her own. Carlotta Grisi and La Polka will for the
future be associated with each other, in the same
manner as Fanny Elssler and La Cracovienne. She
was admirably s.apported Ey Perrot. They were
both called for Et the conclusion, and rapturously ap-
plauded. The 1 tst act qf La Cenerentola, with
Mademoiselle Favanti as the heroine, followed, and
La Esmeralda concluded the evening's entertain-
ments. The house was crowded to the

MANCHESTER MUSICAL FES-

TIVAL.
'MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
We have now to record the second experiment on the
musical taste and feeling of the public of Manchester and
the surrounding neighbourhood, an experiment which,
although it has not been attended with all the success it
deserves, has yet been successful in no inconsiderable
degree, as far as its main objects are concerned. In the
first place, it will readily be admitted, that a few indivi-
duals, none of them wealthy, would not voluntarily
embark in an undertaking of this magnitude, involving
a certain expenditure of from 1,2001. to 1,4001., at the
least, without some reasonable hopes, at all events, of a
moderate remuneration. That no more than this degree
of compensation has been sought we think is tolerably
evident from the scale of outlay on the one hand, and
the low rates of admission on the other. The engage-
ments of the principal vocal performers were on the most
liberal scale—we mean so far as the public are con-
cerned. for we know nothing of the terms of the per-
formers—and the audiences have had no reason to
complain, either that the quality or the quantity of
their entertainment has been at all stinted. Indeed,
if anything, there has been a little too much in
point of quantity arising from the various principals wish-
ing each to do certain pieces. On this score, at all events,
no one will deny that the public has been satisfied, if not
sated, with the feast. The engagement of Herr Ernst
is another proof of the desire to give the public of Man-
chester an opportunity of hearing the highest talent in a
particular branch of art, and that in a way hitherto
unprecedented in a provincial town ; for this great
artiste has scarcely been heard, as yet, in London, and
came over from • the continent expressly to play at
our festival. We say, then, that the public generally
are indebted to the projectors for a rich musical enter-
tainment which could not, under other circumstances,
have been enjoyed ; and to this extent the experiment
is a successful one. In another respect it has also been
eminently successful, for it has shown, what, indeed,
many knew before, but what the most sceptical must
now admit, that Manchester possesses both choral and
instrumental performers in sufficient numbers, and of
adequate ability, to give the finest musical productions
of any age in a style that would shame some festivals of
higher pretensions, and with a much larger expenditure.
With the exception of the six principal singers, the con-
ductor, Herr Ernst, Mr. Howell, and one or two others,
in all, about a dozen, all the choir and orchestra were
collected from this town and its immediate neighbour-
hood. Here, then, is an affluence of materiel capable of
being applied in combination to the production of the
grantMst effects in the whole ranee of musical art..
A s one pleasing and striking instance of the enthusiasm
felt by working men in these musical meetings n e may
mention that a party of five or six actually walked to
this town from Huddersfied, a distance of twenty-four
miles, in order to be present at the concert on Monday
evening. They had imagined that, like former festivals,
it would be a morning performance, and so started on
Sunday night and walked all night. They were at the
doors of the Free Trade Hall by five. o'clock on Monday
evening, desirous to know where they were to sit ; and
they said that. they should have to leave again " after
St. Cecilia," and to cross Standedge Moor that night.
If this be not genuine enthusiasm, not to be surpassed
by that of any fanatico per la musica, we are much
mistaken.
On Monday morning some of' the principals had a sort
of rehearsal in the hall. Herr Ernst tried the effect of
his violin, which was heard distinctly to the farthest part
of the room, both on the floor and in the galleries. A
singular incident occurred during this rehearsal. Miss
Maria B. Hawes was trying one of her songs ; and, in
order to know whether she was in tune, she struck the
keys of the piano, and immediately a shriek—we sup-
pose we may say a genuine contralto shriek—rang
through the hall. Sir Henry Bishop turned round on
the fair cantatrice its great amazement, an emotion par-
taken by all the other parties on the orchestral platform.
On an examination, it proved that Miss Hawes, by strik-
ing the instrument, had excited the ,rage of a wasp,
which immediately stung her hand. How the insect came
to be in such a "situa.ion, and at this season of the year,
we must leave to the naturalists to discuss and deter-
mine ; but, at all events, one line of a well-known. song
would doubtless occur to the memory of the fair artiste—
" Some bee had stung it newly."
We understand that she suffered considerable pain from
the puncture for several hours afterwards.
MONDAY EVENING.—CONCERT OF SACRED MUSIC.
The hall filled up better than we had anticipated, the
galleries being the thinnest part. We believe we are
correct in stating that upwards of 2,000 l'iersons were
present. We were glad to observe the choir of Hen-
shaw's Blind Asylum in the end gallery, in the upper
seat, next South-street, where they were well placed to
hear every note.
The first and second parts were only given this even-
ing, and we believe they are by universal consent allowed
to be the best.
A few minutes after seven o'clock Sir Henry Bishop,
in his academical robes as a Bachelor of Music, made his
appearance, leading Madame Caradori Allan, and fol-
lowed by Messrs. Hobbs and H. Phillips. They were
received with loud and general applause. Almost imme-
diately afterwards the splendid introduction to the ora-
torio commenced.
In the interval between the first and second parts,
Miss Maria B. Hawes sang Handel's fine air, No. 16,
with a solemn sweetness and a majestic expression, ex-
quisitely befitting the music. Her deep notes quite
filled the hall, and thrilled the auditor with a sensation
more easily to be imagined or recalled than described.
It was one of those pieces felt nut only. at the time, but
which will ever remain a bright spot in the realms of
memory, and we account it a privilege to hear such a
glorious organ, so exquisitely attuned to the praise of
the Holy One. Well might the Parisians, gay and vola-
tile as they are, describe her us a " Voir mystere." The
applause was hushed by the *abets which the artiste had
herself produced ; and it came slowly and by degrees,
as people recovered from their sensations. Being thus
prolonged, it began to assume the appearance of un en-
core, but this was immediately hushed.
The second part opened with the recitative and air,
in which Miss Sabilla Novell() (who, on her entrance,
was greeted with loud plaudits) made her chfbut. She
has a personal exterior strongly reminding one of her
gifted sister Clara. She has more of her sister than her
name : we are inclined to think that, when she has ac •
quired a little more control over her voice, she will suc-
ceed to much of the celebrity of that gifted songstress.
Great was the hush of expectation at the close of the
second part, as the moment came for the appearance of
Herr Ernst, who was greeted on his appearance with the
loudest plaudits. He bowed repeatedly and lowly in ac-
knowledgment of this reception, and then rushed at once
into the performance of his concerto (No. 27), the com-
position of Dr. Spohr, with a pleasing melody for_its
tema. His tones struck us as being at times very clear
and silvery, and then vocal-like and singing ;at other
times soft and velvety (an awkward comparison, but we
know no other word that will convey the idea); while his
. in
wailing notes were much like the pathos of Paganine
his finest pieces. His harmonics had some very unusual
and extremely difficult intervals, and were exceedingly
well stopped. Applause burst forth at the end of a very
brilliant passage, in which there was an ascending run
in these harmonics, touched with a most delicate hand.
There was another astonishing movement—(the last)—
exhibiting an effect like three violins in a trio concertante,
which elicited a most enthusiastic burst of applause.
This piece is regarded as a chef d'oeuvre, and a test for
accomplished musicians, and if we are correctly informed
Ernst is the only one who has really been successful in
its mastery. This splendid performance terminated about
twenty minutes after nil • o'clock.
The third part (which consisted of a miscellaneous
selection
sf
a. sacrednTd hethchorus
t music)re b loepsceon:sn,
emNrveei
tnhec
xeadefeuweldil
burst,hn
gly ~effective,o Beethoven'slor
fitoneGeohcr
The quartett was beautifully done ; and the martial
movement with which this'ehorus concludes, was given
with all the vocal masses, and the clangour of orchestral
accompaniment which could embody the composer's idea
of celebrating the triumph of the Lord of Hosts, the God
of Battles.
The exquisite air, " Lord remember David," was
another --tirh- treat. Miss Maria B. Hawes appears to