The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-04-29
Correspondence Of the Evenin. Journal.
The "0ld Folks Concert" !" at Hartford

Concert" which recently came off in this
.tv Well-here ! am, all the way from old
Albany. on purpose to attend the repetition
Of that affair, to be given on the 18th. A
friend here had kindly secured me ticket
Observation-Disclosures my journey had been
IN vain, as the number of tickets was limi led
a,lj0o.all Of which were sold at least9ihou
before the concert was held.
We will start at six o'clock in order to Sc
cure GOOD seat, though the service does not
commence till :. Though the evening is
quite stormy, the crowls in the street eyince
some unu>ua! interest and all seem to be
moving in one direction. The current is
toward Pearl stand the ncwConcrerational
Church on that street seems to be the goal
We will entcr-if we can. We who thought
10 bc early, must be among the last, for that
spacious and elegant cdificc is already full to
overilowln.. Finally without ibbing, we
licitlIcd the sentinel at the gallery stars into
the idea that ] was one OF the Nnqers, and so
obtained seat in full view of the Choir
Now. before ..mcctin' begins" let us look a.
round on this vast congregation. \ finer
looking set of people than these Yankees can
not be scared mp. See the venerable grav
heads and >alwart forms All these are the
men OF the Oldcn time, who have turned out
in spite Of the storm, to hear the tunes thev
sun. IN their youth, as did their fathers before
them The pulpit and platform are filled
with livncS. among whom observe B;shoy
Williams. and Drs Robbins and IIawes. Rev
.M.>,rs Beadle and Fisher, Charles A. Good
rch and many others to me unknown, Now
let us turn to the choir. But where is it,
Can ii be that GO or 20 persons in the orchcs-
ira alone form this great choir of which have
heard 30 much q, no. On the RIGHT side
Of the gallery sit something like a hundred
men who form the bass wing. On the oppo-
ste or lett side Of the gallery, are quite as
many more ladies', who, according to the old
custom, are to sing the tenor; while the men
in The orh.Str. aforesaid, sing the treble or
air. Well. this arrangement seems odd to us
modcrn>. but its the old way that's enough.
Hrt there is more striking feature in the
choir OF 500, than that Just look at the
acc, Of the singers. WHY here are many old
p!ies without a tooth in their heads, some of
them must be- a, lca>, tl,c <colt c,,d TN
Whcw. what scrcech we shall have from
their cracked old voices to be sure and then
The mcn-only see the gray heads One at
least Of them is oversoycars oi:agc and many
are over GO.
The PRAYER over. and Ill the expectation is
on tiptoe. A low whistle is heard, strongly
resembling that OF the distant cars. What
does that mean: An ancient ptchpipc, as |
live No other instrument is to be seen or
heard, and from that the choir "sound."-
And now they BEGIN to roll out the notes of
old Paris, with the words lie rcigns, the Lord
the Savior, rcigns."
Width what power and thrilling effect doe.
that great band pour forth their melody
What a good, round, rich volume of sount
proceeds from their united voices. And thcr
what excellent time they keep. Why. Faith
cr Jewell, the leader, manages them. lust a.
easy, and seems so much in his element that
any one can see that he enjoys it. See thos,
old danes how they sway to and fro lust a.
they used to did; the old men too the,
strain so hard to reach the high notes. ant
enter into the spirit of it, with such zcst
that they seem like old Simeon .rea]v 10 dc
rsrt Tor very excitement Just watch tn,
"oId folks down stairs, too-see the tear
star; TO their eyes, the strains remind then
OF o;her days. Their heads, their hands
their feet all unite in keeping time, and ever
their trembling voices are heard occasionally
have seen interest and enthusiasm at con
ecrtN before, but never none like this.
he majestic strains OF Paris" have end
cd, and the more lively ''Bridgcwatcr' fol
lows; and now for ''Fuge." How niccl
part after part comes in, and yet how mike,
u? they get. But notwithstanding our fear
lr their safety, they all come out exactl
ri-ht TO dot. Then come the plaintiy
strains Of ''Grccntield," and old New Dur
Alm' The charming "Montgomcry" follow
o'' and was very property ,ncor.d. Port
i'nd' Newport" Paradise" and Sher
'HTnc" follow and then come the pathe,
'Scna." with the solemn words
See the Lord Of glory diving:
See Him ga~phg. hear Hin cryinc.
during the >ingin. of which the utmost 50,
cmnltv and tenderness pcrvalel the ep,;r
assembly But what shall say of MARY
land. "Complainf," "Maiesty," Ocean,
""reenfield,' "Edom,' Schenectady" an,
ia't not least "Oll Hundred" which wa
-o'ned IN by the whole audience. BY reque>
'Ae choir also sang "Coronation." in whic]
''I were asked to join; and they did joi,
Win a will The vaulted roof ofthat Churcl
lever passed such ordeal before. and ma,
'''" oe considered perfectly safe That goo,
V'a tune, how often it is murdered in thes,
''''cF 'ays, resembling coronation, abou
= A''' l. as cat does cabbage
wish that al. the descendants of the New
''N-'and Fathers could hear Just such con
.oIl am >ure IL Mnull reyivn tha;. ,..l