The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-08-09 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL

Last evening, the celebrated Miss Adelaide Kemble
made her first courtesy before a Liverpool audience, in her
favourite character of Norma, in Bellini's opera of that
name. Of the ouera itself we do not consider it to be an
original one, as there are a great many repetitions of " Son-
natnbula" occurring throughout—but it is, nevertheless, a
delightful production, and will always maintain its hold on
public opinion. Miss Kemble, the bright and brilliant
star of the musical hemisphere, has blazed upon us
with rays as pure as we have been all along led to. ex-
pect. She is, indeed, a distinguished singer and a
finished actress. She is Pasta redivivus : no one has
come near her, either in point of genius, science, or taste,
since that gifted creature delighted thousands of hearers.
Miss Kemble's voice is clear as a silver bell, every tone is
pure and replete with melody ; her lower notes are full of
volume, while her upper ones are incomparably sweet. Her
power of sustaining her notes is truly wonderful—she com-
pletely realizes the poets expression, " a linked sweetness
long drawn out." Her execution is finished and artistical,
while the power and compass of her voice is very great. Her
recitative is chaste beyond expression ; every word finds a dis-
tinct utterance, and the full meaning to each is conveyed. Her
pathos, tenderness and delicacy of expression is consummate;
in fact her singing falls upon the ear, making the same im-
pression on the mind as a true picture of Correggio,
when it meets the sight. Nature has been bountiful to
the Kemble family ; she appears to have been lavish in-
deed upon " this noble daughter of the gifted race,"
while science has perfected the exquisite work. Miss Kem-
ble's opening scena won for her the fullest meed of appro-
bation, which she maintained throughtout her performance.
Miss Kemble is not only a wonderful singer, but an actress
of great ability. Without having absolute graces of person,
all her action is replete with feeling and truthfulness ; in
fact, Miss Kemble's Norma, we look upon as near perfection
as we ever hope to see. Flattering as this may seem, it is
hardly saying enough. Miss Rainforth's Adelgisa was a
sweet andtgraceful effort. She stands well, even in com-
parison with Miss Kemble. She sang throughout with great
taste and excellence, and it is no common treat to hear her.
Mr. Shrivall possesses a good tenor voice, sometimes re-
minding us of Wood. He appears careful and clever, but
without much enthusiasm. Mr. Eaton sang Flavius well.
Last, though not the least, inthis talented group, comes our
young townsman, Mr. W. Wiess, and we can safely say, that
we see no cause to, regret hazarding the prophecy we did,
when he sang down here some months ago—that he would
be an acquisition to the musical world, and an honor to his
profession. His welcome was a hearty one, and it was
pleasant to find him so honored—by the most brilliant, full,
and fashionable house of the season. He sang Oreveso
throughout with great taste and spirit, his deep
bass
e
" coming out" of the loudest chorus. We must say that Nits
voic
Kemble's threatened retirement from the stage wilinTbl
ra
purest ornament ; and those who wish to hear al w a
singer must not forget that on four nights Fe
opportunity be afforded. We cannot concludeon ?r willo that
erfuhis hasty
notice without commending the admirable
or way the opera has
scenery, the sacred
been got up, whether as to costume
grove and druidical temple being nobl?eßecime j
n s of the
scenic art. The management has done Norma" justice ;
it remains for the public to reward their enterprize.

The circular of Munn. Buchanan of this town .confirms
the general opinion of a steady improvement in the manu-
facturing districts. They have found the reports from com-
mercial and manufacturing towns uniform in representing an
increase of business—not, indeed, very rapid or profitable as
yet, but still resulting fronj a real demand. A general im-
pression that prices will not decline leads to an expectation
of a continued extension, with a gradual amelioration of most
branches of business and agriculture, provided the harvest
proves good. as there is every reason to believe. That the
autumn trade may be brisk is thought not improbable, 'since
the adjournment of parliament will remove all fears of any
further alteration in the comnierchil system, and there is
abundance of unemployed capital, which may be speedily
Failed into play. The prices of articles have been observed,
in almost every instance, to have changed to the benefit of
the consumer with the reductions in the new tariff.

DAVID HODGSON, ESQ., AND HIS RADICAI
POPISH DETRACTORS.

We are happy to find that the unflinching
played by Mr. David Hodgson, and the honest support b
which those efforts, on a recent occasion, were met by hit
fellow conservatives in the council. The following resolution
adopted at a meeting of the committee of the Tostet)'
Protestant Operative Association must be highly
to that gentleman and the conservative councillc
as indeed it has been well and hardly earned

grati fyi

" Resolved,—That this meeting regards with deep interest
the proceedings of the Town Council with especial reference
to the education question, and beg to express their high ad-
miration of the conduct of David Hodgson, Esq., and here-
by beg to tender him and those who supported him their most
sincere thanks, and pray that God may always support and
defend them against the vile abuse and malignant attacks of
the enemies of our Protestant principles.
(Signed) "CHARLES HUNTON, Secretary.
" Committee-room, Toxteth.hall,
•
" August 6, 1842."

_ .
In connexion with the debate in question, we may revert
to an insulting remark applied to Mr. Hodgson in the Coun-
cil, by Mr. Alderman Evans, to the effect that Mr. Hodgson
dared not make use of certain language to him " out of that
place." It has, we understand, been made a subject of
some chuckling by the radical faction, that this significant
hint of pistols and daggers was not at once taken notice of
by Mr. Hodgson in a fighting spirit. If we are not mis-
taken, however, the reply of Mr. Hodgson, which was not
loud enough to be heard accurately by the reporters, was
perfectly satisfactory to his assailant, with respect to
the reason why no provocation could induce him to
notice • the irascible atderman " out of doors." As the
admirers of the latter gentleman have not the advantage of
knowing what was the reason alleged, we favour them with
the reply of Mr. Hodgson which, although uttered some-
what sotto voce, was nevertheless not lest upon either the
Alderman or ourselves. It was to the effect that Mr. Hodg-
son " was not likely to notice Mr. Evans elsewhere as a
reminiscence not very gratifying to that gentleman's self-
complacency or manners would suggest to him. He had been
guilty in times past of an observation personal to himself and.
—entirely unprovoked and wholly uncalled for ; —so low,
gross and ungentlemanly as, whilst it made him ashamed of
being acquainted with any one capable of it, taught him
studidusly to avoid future communication." Perhaps Mr.
Alderman Evans, indiscreet Friends will be satisfied with
the explanation. Their idol was satisfied on the spot.