Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-03-11

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The London correspondent Of the New
York World writes: ethA f1si
Interpretations were raised to the high
est point but i can not express how far they
were t~ranscended, To understand the ef
feet You should frat form an idea Of Che
building. Just imagine the building, with
walls as high as a tolsrably ambitious viii
lace spire. and then q high roof supported
BY columns-the nave 500 feet, and the dome
OF course spans something like 100 feet, "a
IL is shaped like an immense acorn, only
being a more perfect sphere and Of solid
stone, and so smooth, that a sound which
fills it echoes a long time. Now at the base
Of the dome Zoo feet from the loorl, where
it rests on the walls, there are 1000 jets of
gas. These all lighted, and SO high as TO be
above the eve, unless the head Is thrown
quite back, reflected from the newly painted
walls, shone down on the multitude, literally
like light from heaven. And when you
looked up, and saw the vast quantity ofgold
and gilded pannels, gilded arches and gilded
railing, all so. high from 100 to 800 feetl ii
seemed like looking into Heaven indeed.
The choir and orchestra 500 strong, seemed
but a little handful in that immense place.
The organ Is new and of immense power,
COSTING 800, 00O.T The Lord Mayor and Lord
Bishop, and Prince Consort, and Princesses
and Bishops, &c, were there in state, and
all was grand.
Then the musicl Mr.. Sims Reeves, the b,st
singer in London, stood up, and in the open.
ing recitative, Comfort ye," filed the whole
house, dome and all, alone. The airs Come
unto me-" Sweet beyond expression6 ~
know that my Redeemer liveth," "There was
not any sorrow like unto his sorrow" "He
was despised and Tejected'-oh, it makes us
better TO hear these songs at any time; but
by such voices, in such a place, and with such
an echo, floating back like a fragment Of
angels, singing, from that vast dome, at every
pause, it seemed as though every heart wou'd
melt. and il did seem as though | could love
the Savior better than ever before. And then
the choruses, with all voices and instru-
ments trumpets, cymbals, kettle drums,
anG organ, with q base vaster and more pro-
found than you can conceive of.
l felt my cheeks burning with the excite.
ment Of joy. | could not but think how
great the genius of the great master, Handel
Here is his work, so well rendered before, I
thought-developed into far exceeding pro-
portions of pathos, sublimity and power by
this increased force-now who can tell the
limit to mans capacity or heavens enjoy
ment; for performers and organ pedals, equal
TO 1000 more, and the effect is only enhanced.
Suppose we have 5000 performers, and q base
that shall roll like the thunder of the storm,
il would only develop a power of the music
not reached beforehand then try and think
what the music will be when thousands and
thousands, and ten times ten thousands shall
strike their harps, and blend their voices 10
a purer air and a nob.er song, under the
arch of Heaven itself. Oh, it's worth years
of common life, this one concert under the
dome."
When they sang, "For unto us a child is
born, y and repeated it again and again, each
part taking it up anew, and all vieing with
each other, with endless variations, follow
ing with yful rapidity in each new repeti-
ton, and finally all in unison shouted, His
name shall be called the wonderful Pm the
whole base force of voice and instrument and
organ, and all the upper parts in full voice,
all together Numbered it forth wonderful
1t started me from my seat-it was like
thunder-like the voice of God"
One of the choruses, very loud, had filed
the house till it all echoed again, aud, at the
last words, they all paused and waited for
the last volume Of echoes to die away in
grand silence, and then poured forth the
close, Saith the Lord Godp' 1t was sub
lime; and again, in the chorus, ascribiug
glory, and honor, aud wisdom, and power,
and riches, and blessings to the saint, the
force was increased at each word, and each
word followed each, a great billow of sound
filling the dome, and echoing, and re-echo-
ing again and again, increased by each
word, until the solid old arch seemed fairly
to shake.
And then the closing "Amenr-the con-
ductor suspended his baton, and the echoes
rolled and swelled and died, and then be
brought it down again one blow. a
paused until the voices and instruments had
reached their fullest power, aud the organ,
with all stops in use had reached a deenar
depth than even its deepest thunders before,
and every ear was strained, aud all stood
wondering at the majestic effect, wondering
TO fud their very souls rocking and ringing
with the swelling voices, ard then one more
flow, men, and il swelled and swelled, the
organ rolled, the great dome gathered up the
voices concentrated therein all in one, and
rolled back again the mighty echo-and the
concert was ended.