Litchfield enquirer., 1861-03-21
neyr We reprint from the World of the 27th

B9% We reprint from the World of the 27tl
 ut. the following graphic account of concert
 in London which from the number and celebrit,
 of the performers and the novelty and ectat o
 the place created great fa''or in the metropo
 lis. The affair is recent. It,was the first oc
 casion on which the dome of Sir Christophe
 Wren has ever covered such scene. The re
 port was not designed for the public eye. I
 occurs in private letter: =
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE CONCERT UNDER THE DoMl OF ST. PAuL's LONDON,
 Ny expectations were raised to the highes
 point, but l cannot express how far they were transcended. To understand the effect yor should first form an idea of the building. Jus
 imagine the whole building, with walls as high as tolerlb!y ambitious village spire, and ther high roof supported by coumns-the nave
 500 feet. and the dome of course spans some thing like 100 feet, i. e., it is shaped like i'm
 mense acorn, only being more perfect sphere and so solid stone. and so smooth, that a sound which fills it. echoes long time. Now at ths base of the dome tone hundred feet from the fioor) where 1t rests On the walls. there are one thousand jets of gas. These all lighted, and SC high as to be above the eye. 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 ol gold. and glded panels. gided arches and gil ded railing, all so high (from 100 to 300 feet,) I. seemed like looking into heaven indeed The choir and orchestra. 600 strong, seemed but little handful in that immense place. The organ is new and of immensc poN CT (cost S20,000) The Lord Mayor and Lord Bishop and Prince consort and Princesses and Bishops &c., &c., were there in State, and all was grand.
 Then the music. Mr. Sims Reeves the best singer in London stood up. and in the opening recitative. Comfort ye,' filed the whole house dome and all, alone. The airs Gene unto me- (sweet beyond expression know that my Redeemer liveth," "1here is not any sorrow like unto his sorrow" He was de- spised and rejected '-oh, it makes US better to hear these songs at any time: but by such voices, in such place, and with such an echo floating back like a fragment Of angels singing, from that vast dome, at every pause, is seemed as though every heart would melt, and it did seem as though l could love the Savior better than ever before. And then the choruses with all voices and instruments-trumpets, cymbals, kettle drums and organ, with a ba vaster and more profound than you can conceive of. felt my cheeks burning with the excitement and joy. 1 could not but think how great the genius of the great master Handel. Here is his work so well rendered before thought developed into tar exceeding proportions of rathos, sub llmlty and power by this increased force-who can tell the limit to man capacity or heaven s enjoyment; for performers and organ pedals equal to one thousand more, and the effect is nr,f f,, olo I @l T performers. and a bass that shall roll like the tn inder of the orm. it wonid only develope a power of the music not reached before-and then try and think what the music will be when thousands and thousands. and ten times thou san;is shall strike their harps, and blend their vniens in purar air ard .anhiAr sn,ig under the artn Of heaven itself Oh, ii IS worth years of common life, this one t" concert under tle dome" When they sang, |" For unto Us $ child Is born, and repeated 1t again and again, each part taking it up anew, and all vieiny with each other, with endless var:a.iCns, following with joyful rafidity n each new repetition, a#d final ly ali in unison shouted, his name shall be call ed the wonderful" tie whole base fore of voice, and instrument and organ, and all the upper parts in full voice, all together thundered in forth ''won!erful!' It started me from my seat-it was like ttunder--like the "voiee of a god" One of the chorusrs, very loud, had filled the house till it all echoed again and, at the last words, they all paused and waited for the vast volume of echoes to die away in graAd silence. and then poured forth the close. "saith the Lord God! It was sui,lime and again, in the chorus, ascrbing glory, and honor, and wis dom. and power, and riches, and blessings" to the Lamb the force was increased each word and each word followed each. a great pillow of sound filling the dome and echoing. and reechot ing again and again, increased by each word, until the solid old arch seemed fairly to shaka. And then the closing Amen" the conductor suspended his baton, and the echoes rolled snd sweled and died, and then he brought it down again one blow" A., paused until the voices and instruments had reached their fullest power and the organ, with ali stops in use had reached deeper depth, than even it's deepest thunders before, and every ear was strained, and all stood wondering at the majestic effect, won- dering to find their souls rocking and ringing with the swelling voices. and ten one more blow "men," and it swelled and sweed, the organ rolled, the great dome gathered up the voices concentrated therein all in Dne and rolled back again the mighty echo-ana the concert was ended. H ,5