The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-09-19 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL

ITALIAN OPERA AT THE THEATRE-ROYAL.

By the enterprise of Mr. H. F. Aldridge, we have been
treated during the past week with a series of operatic
performances of a first-class character, the success of
which, we trust, will insure us an early repetition of the
experiment. There is now no longer a valid reason why
the first commercial community of the empire should lie
under the stigma of being unable to comprehend and
appreciate music of a high order, and no further excuse
for our Grisis and Marius expending all their rare gifts upon
the blase loungers who frequent the boxes and pit of,
par excellence, " her Majesty's Theatre."
Of the first two evenings' performances we shall not
fatigue our readers and ourselves by saving much. The
memory of a first and a second delight is soon erased by
a third and a fourth ; and our contemporaries have pretty
well fulfilled their duties in recording the evenings of
" Norma" and " Puritani." In the former it was evi-
dent that the great stars, Grisi and Mario, were suffering
under some depression, either of spirits or of health.
Yet we could not have mistaken, in their rather unequal
performances, the presence of inimitable talent, which
flashed out at intervals in its wonted brilliancy. In the
" Norma," Tagliafico astonished his audience by his
power and the quality of his voice ; but his merits were
best tested by the exquisite impersonation which he gave
of Don Pasquale on Friday evening. In " Puritani "he
was great ; and in " Suona la tromba" he was cheered to
the utmost. Madlle. Vera is an acquisition to our ope-
ratic boards. Her Adalgisa was very fine ; and her voice
and acting throughout superior to any which we have
observed in the same character.

The " Puritani" of Thursday was throughout an exqui-
site performance. The singing of Grisi and Mario was
especially beautiful.
On Friday evening the opera was " Don Pasquale,"
and we believe the first time that it has been played in
Liverpool; at all events, the first time that it has been
placed before us by such distinguished artistes. We have
already referred to Signor.Tagliafico's rendering of Don
Pasquale. It was superb, and established that perfor-
mer's claim to the first place as a comedian. Nothing
can be finer than his rendering of the whole of scene 2nd
in the third act, or the_

" Cheti Cheti immantinente"
in scene sth of the same act. The whole of this scene
indeed, and especially the conclusion, was splendidly
given by Tagliafico and Signor Ciabatta, who played the
Doctor Malatesta with very great ability. Grisi was very
rich in her impersonation of Norina. She entered fully
into the spirit of the character, and her vocalisation was
of the rarest order. The last scene especially was a tri-
umph. which we regret was a little marred by the absurd
custom, on the part of a fashionable audience, of parties
getting up to leave before the conclusion. Mario has
little to do in this opera. His song, however, " Com' e
gentil," was of itself a treat worth hearing, and was twice
encored most enthusiastically. His duet with Grisi,
" Tornami a dir," was also an inimitable performance.
No other duo could sing it so finely.
The houses were crowded during the whole series of
performances by fashionable audiences, notwithstanding
the numerous attractions so liberally provided elsewhere.
We never, in fact, remember seeing a treat of the kind so
apparently successful in our town.

THE YACHT CLUBS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

DEAR SIR,—In reading in the Liverpool Albion of
last Monday a short notice of the Carnarvon Regatta, I
find the writer has made a mistake, which I shall feel
obliged if you will do me the favour to correct.
Far from wishing to place myself and the Decs Yacht
Club in juxta-position with the flourishing " Royal Mer-
sey Yacht Club," and my good friends the officers of that
club ; yet I consider it imperative upon me, from the fact
of the same mistake being so frequently made, to an-
nounce to the aquatic public, that the Dee Yacht Club
(of the insignificance of which, comparatively, I will say
no more) had last year the honour of the royal patronage
bestowed upon it, and a grant from the Admiralty to wear
the blue ensign of her Majesty's fleet, with the distin-
guishing marks of the club in the fly, namely, a crown
over a wolf's head.

The concluding paragraph I find repeats the word
" Royal," as attached to the Mersey Club, just seven
times ; but where that of the Dee occurs—which is only
once—the word is changed to " River." Why any one
should go out of their way to alter the word, so invi-
diously, as I conceive it, I cannot understand.
I remain, dear sir, yours very faithfully,
E. WATSON LLOYD,
Commodore " Royal Dee Yacht Club."
Fort Heswall, Cheshire, 16th Sept., 1848.

THE FERRIES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL
.STANDARD.

Sin,—Permit me to throw out a suggestion respecting
the ferries, and a very great oversight in the regulations.
It would be most desirable, if a sixpenny ticket was
granted, especially to the working classes, for the week.
Such an arrangement would be highly conducive to the
interests of the ferry, and ensure their passage each way.
As it is, they resort in numerous instances to the other
ferries in returning, whereby the growing interests of this
place receive a very great check ; and the importance, as
well as the convenience of such an arrangement cannot
but be obvious t.) every one.—Your respectfully,___

A RATEPAYER OF WOODSIDE.

HALE FLORAL AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

on w-Linv the ...a meeting of this &n. "
of fruits, flowers, &c., took place ab rime, in a spacious mar-
quee, erected at a short distance from the inn. The day
being fine, a very large company was drawn together on
the occasion, comprising many of the principal gentry of
Hale and the neighbourhood, and many persons from
Liverpool, amongst others we noticed J. I. Blackburne,
Esq., of Hale-hall, with a large party of ladies ; Captain
Blackburn, Thomas Parker, Esq., the Rev. W. Stewart,
the Rev. J. Stewart, Robert Neilson, Esq. A band of
music was stationed in the centre of the marquee. There
was a good show of flowers, consisting of fuchsias, gera-
niums, and window plants, some of which were very
finely grown ; also roses, dahlias, and pansies, in great
abundance, of exquisite colours, and of every variety.
Some good fruit was shown, and vegetables of very large
growth. A magnum bonum gourd, grown by Mr. Casson,
excited much attention. There were a great number of
specimens sent in by cottagers, and we were glad to per-
ceive that this department of the exhibition had received
a considerable share of attention. From the appearance
of the various fruits, vegetables, &c., produced by the cot-
tagers, it was evident that the society had conferred great
advantages on the district to which its operations were
extended, by stimulating the working people to pay more
attention to gardening and agriculture. Amongst other
attractions in the exhibition were several devices of cut
flowers and models of cottages ; also, an ingenious model
of the Hale decoy for taking ducks. The show altogether
was considered the best which this society has yet pro-
duced. _ _ _ _ _ _ _

About four o'clock in the evening the patron, president,
vice-president, Captain Blackburne, and a number of the
committee, ascended a temporary platform in front of the
pavilion, for the purpose of announcing the prizes, from
which

The Rev. Mr. STEWART addressed a large concourse of
people to the following effect ;—This society, they were
all aware, had now been in existence for eight years, and
during that period they had clear and practical proofs of
its usefulness and beneficial effects in the visible improve-
ments which had been made in the gardens and cottages
of the humbler classes of their neighbours. They were all
aware that the human mind was so constituted that it re-
quired occasional zest and relaxation from .the anxieties
and the toils of business ; and, therefore, he contended
that the light and healthful labour of cultivating a garden,
with its attractive flowers and useful vegetables, best sup-
plied this necessary relaxation, and thereby withdrew the
mind from all worthless or sinful gratifications, imparting
to it, at the same time, an intellectual treat. kCheers.)
Flowers were, indeed, one of the most bountiful as well
as beautiful gifts of God to man ; their cultivation im-
proved his health, and raised his mind from contemplating
the works of nature to the adoration of nature's God—the
great Creator. (Hear, hear.) He could not but observe
what a pleasing scene it was to behold the head of a family,
instead of resorting to the alehouse for recreation, busied
in his little garden, ornamenting his humble cottage, or
enjoying the refreshing 'cool of a summer evening in his
rustic arbour, like a patriarch of old, with all his house-
hold around him. This was a true picture of rustic felicity,
and to such a min might be applied the words of the in-
spired writer,—" He shall sit under his own vine, and
under his own fig-tree, and no one shall make him afraid."
cAppmuse.7 mire rev. gentleman teen retiree.
R. NEILSON, Esq., (vice-president) next presented him-
self, and read a list of the prizes awarded to the successful
competitors, at the conclusion of which be addressed the
assemblage on the great benefits which such societies con-
ferred on the community. Their society was commenced
in 1841, under but very indifferent auspices indeed. They
then only eighty subscribers, and at their first exhibi-
tion there were but very few present ; whilst now they
numbered 500 subscribers, and the large and brilliant
attendance of that day testified that their efforts to please
had been successful. (Cheers.) He trusted that they
would all work with even increased zeal for the welfare of
the society. (Hear, hear.) He knew that the committee
would leave nothing undone to make it successful—and he
might add that their cast success was mainly owing to the
exertions of the committee, assisted, as they were, by such
active and energetic men as their secretary and treasurer.
Indeed Mr. Nickson was invaluable to them ; and he
should also mention that it was owing to his exertions that
be (Mr. Neilson) had the pleasure of awarding, on the day
previous, at Manchester, the first prize for the best ma-
naged and best cultivated farm in the county of Lancaster,
to John Ireland Blackburne, Esq., of Hale. (Hear, bE,ar,
and loud cheers.) After a few further observations ex-
planatory of the working of the society, Mr. Neilson con-
cluded a very excellent speech.
The Rev. Mr. STEWART then, in appropriate and com-
plimentary terms, proposed three cheers for Mr. Black-
burne and family, which were heartily responded to,—
the band striking up " He's a fine old English gentle-
man."
Mr. BLACKBURNE, having presented himself to re-
spond to the compliment thus paid him, was again greeted
with the most enthusiastic applause. When silence was
restored, he proceeded to observe that he could not
sufficiently thank them for the flattering manner in which
their president had been pleased to speak of him, and for
the kind and cordial reception which they had given to
his name. (Cheers.] What had given rise to the pre-
sent society was a desire on the part of some gentlemen
who took an interest in the welfare of the people of the
district, to see the cottage gardeners improve their
gardens, by rendering them something superior to mere
potato plots, and to induce them to cultivate flowers and
useful vegetables, which would be both profitable and
healthful employment. He regretted, however, that
*bast they had been successful in forming a very good

society, the benefits arising" from it were not so well ap-
preciated by the people of 1-la/e as by those of the sur-
rounding districts, for he believed that the people of
Speke, Dutton, and Tarbock, had carried off by far the
greater number of prizes. He trusted, however, that the
people of Hale would rouse themselves from their present
inactivity, and that by next year they would stand well
for their share of prizes. He hoped that this hint would
not be thrown away upon them. They were under the
deepest obligation to the secretary, the stewards, and the
judges, for the very handsome manner in which they had
performed the several tasks allotted to them ; and before
he concluded he wished to give them an opportunity of
showing their respect for their worthy president, the Rev.
Mr. Stewart,—three cheers for him. (Responded to.)
A similar compliment was then paid to Captain Black-
burne,
the Vice-President, and the other officers of the
society, after which the company separated; and, after
five o'clock, the public were admitted gratuitously, and
numbers availed themselves of the opportunity thus
afforded of inspecting the exhibition.