The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-22 00:00:00

THE ROYAL CHRISTENING.

WINDSOR; TErtntsDAv.--Yesterday evening, after tne
Royal dinner party had broken up at the Castle, a re-
hearsal of the sacred music to be performed in St. George's
Chapel during the ceremony of the christening of the
Prince of Wales took place in the Music-room, by com-
mand and in the presence of her Majesty, for the first
time, by the Queen's private band, which was led by Mr.
Anderson. Dr. Elvey presided at the organ.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, her Royal High-
ness the Duchess of Kent, and the members of the Court
were also present.
The pieces performed were a march from the oratorio
of Joseph, preceded by a martial symphony from the ora-
torio of Belshazzar, and Handers Occasional Overture.

This afternoon a change in these compositions was de-
termined upon by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, and a
grand march from the oratorio of Judas Maccabeus has
been commanded to be substituted for the martial sym-
phony and the march in Joseph.
The order of the music to be performed in St. George's
Chapel, which has now been definitively arranged, will
be as follows:

The " March" from Judas Maccabeus will be played
upon the entrance of the procession to the choir. The
ceremony will then commence, the " Amens" being sung
by the full choir. At its conclusion the " Hallelujah
Chorus" will also be sung by the full choir, consisting of
the lay clerks and choristers of St. George's, several
gentlemen of the Chapel Royal, St. James's, and nume-
rous assistants. Upon the procession retiring from the
chapel, Handel's Occasional Overture will be performed
by the organ and the full band.
In addition to her Majesty's private band, the follow-
ing gentlemen of the state band will attend and perform
at the chipel of St. George during the ceremony:—
Violins—Mr. F. Cramer, master; Mr. Blagrove, Mr.
G-. Anderson, Mr. J. Loder, Mr. T. Cooke, and Mr. W.
Cramer. .

Viola—Mr. A. Moralt:
Trombones—Mr. Smithie and Mr. Smithie, jun.
Trumpets—Mr. Harper and Mr. Irvin.
The last rehearsal, at which the whole of the instru-
mental performers will be present, will take place at St.
George's Chapel on Monday, at twelve o'clock.
The March from Hercules (an oratorio, and not an
opera, as it has been stated), by Handel, was performed
by command of William IV., at the confirmation of his
Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge in August,
1835. It has been performed upon several similar occa-
sions in religious edifices ; and as it has no libretto, the
music partakes of the same character which appertains
to the marches in the sacred oratorios of its eminent
composer.
.The platform in front of the altar in St. George's Cha-
pel, for her Majesty, Prince Albert, and the Royal and
illustrious sponsors, and their immediate attendants, is
upwards of 30 feet long (extending from north to south,)
and 12 feet wide.

The walls of the various aisles through which the pro-
cession will pass have been thoroughly cleansed and
whitewashed, and the whole of that part of the chapel
assumes an extremely neat appearance.
Her Majesty will retire from the Chapter-room (whither
the Queen will first proceed upon leaving Wolsey's Hall)
and enter the choir at a door nearly opposite, in the
north aisle, leading up a short flight of steps, direct
upon the platform. A few yards lower down this aisle
(towards the nave) a temporary gallery has been erected
facing eastward, capable of containing about 60 visitors,
who will thus possess an excellent view of this part of
the procession, and who will be admitted to the chapel
by tickets from the Lord Chamberlain.
The King of Prussia and other Royal and distin-
guished personages will, upon entering the chapel from
Cardinal Wolsey's Hall at thetack of the altar, proceed
to the south aisle and thence enter the choir, upon the
platform, from a door opposite to the Queen's entrance.
A similar gallery to accominodate the same number of
visitors as the one in the north aisle, has been erected
in the southern aisle, to which those invited will also be
admitted by tickets from the Lord Chamberlain.
Mr. Hay ter, painter of history and portraits to the
Queen, was at the Chapel this morning, for the purpose
of selPcting an eligible elevation whence to take a sketch
of the important ceremony, for a grand historical paint-
ing to be executed by command of her Majesty.
From 40 to 50 distinguished visitors will be admitted
to the Queen's closet, a position which will command an
excellent view of the ceremony, being just over the plat-
form where the Royal and illustrious party will take their
stations during the performance of the solemn rite.
It is stated that after the christening the public will be
admitted by tickets to view the interior of St. George's
Chapel and St. George's Hall, which will be left, with
reference to the fittings and decorations, in the same state
as on the day and evening of the ceremony.
Mr.
_Stacey, of the Ordnance Department in the
Tower, has been occupied for some days past in arrang-
ing the beautiful specimens of arms, &c., which were
collected by his late Majesty George IV., and also in de-
corating the ante-room leading to the Waterloo Chamber.
The Lord Chamberlain arrived at Windsor this after-
noon by the two o'clock train from town. His Lordship'
has been busily engaged during the whole time he has
been at the Castle in inspecting the progress of the ex-
tensive preparations now -being made in the private and
state apartments at the Castle, and also in St. George's
Hall, under the superintendence of Mr. Saunders.
Yesterday afternoon messengers were despatched from
the Castle to countermand the attendance of two cavalry
regiments, which had been ordered to Windsor as a por-
tion of the troops which were to have been reviewed in
the Great Park on Thursday next.
Several large vans laden with furniture from Bucking-
ham Palace arrived at the Castle at six o'clock this
evening.