New-York tribune., 1869-06-26


a., Aud with tHtf c7esccHdO of amazing confidence
now wonder upon wonder was proclaimed, not as
hing suqgested but rs fat Gcconpt with az hesOiNeu
unanimously il is to be- No reason to the contrary
no doubt might dare to peep; no unnvaded nook IN
newspaperdom where any still, small voice might
seek TO be heard. Peace Jubilee had stolen march
upon us in the night and foTestaed every channel ol
communication.
This ringing confidence of the whole Boston Press,
this ccaseless roaring deluge of e1utng prophesy'
was meant to convey the impression to surrounding
nopulations and TO distant States that all Boston,
with one mind-Boson. famed for music and fine cul-
ture-was thoroughly in sympathy with Gilmore, and
committed to the project. We were all made oSten-
sibv responsible for the eXtravagances of the plan
and All the bTaggadOCiO with which 1t was written
up. This representation was by no means JhSt OF
TINE There WAS vast discrepancy between this
newspaper flourish and the pilNate seh,lII auu
conversation in cultivated circles, pailculaly ahlVhg
those who had the cause of pure musical taste the
most at heart: those who IN sincere ana quiet
wav it might be- found their best life IN the best
music UncOnvnCed as they were ot either the pIac-
ticability or the desrableness OF a musical
festival upon so vast scale, lnstlncyely aVcrSe 10
clap-trap 10 staTtlingy big things to the whole
spiTit of the monster concert system mortified, IN
dgnant at the boastful attitude IN which they tond
themselves all placed against their WILL against lne
very nature these were without repreSeh'aIsCIt 80
apy public form whatever, except IN tho eNntHiTus
taunts of those who had it all their own way 1T 80
Gilmore and his early cOadjutOIs doubtless nau I
of obstacles 10 COnIclV NlIb HNN ~ va
work with them; we honor the 1alth anu p,o pO,S %
anCe, worthy of the Saints, when oEelI'IIio IIIG o
signay; but these little ones VINO leI. t6
another way and firmly set themselves as3lu't& ~ nv
81 ratbcr than tive i'm ANONYMOUSLY to what they
conId not see 10 be good had much the harder tlla
of tbeir faith their courage, and their integrity
VI NSnonv1Iiia tbeTe had been sklful procuring OF
Endorsements of the projects letters nom lnlenil
cit;9aDs vino not musical themselves, were readily
Soo1ed tn n festival of Peace. and not unwilling
10 have Boston beat the world IN the gTahd seie OI
its music; letters, too from prominent huslclaiS
who would naturally be the ones to take the leau IN
practical performance. There was. sh!eMu S~dleula- ~
ZION shown in the order IN which mulElduaSS were
approached, and their adhesion won ana pnDhsh4eu;
the prime mover knew his men, indeed, IIe IIilns
was worked up with cOnSummate tact; ana mere lay,
probably the genius which has been so neeIy as
Cribed TO the Protector; Tor surely the cOucep!ou'
tbe idea itself did not require creative imagination,
nor invention until 1t came TO the detalls Oh eAeC
tiOn, and here with money business laleht was tllo
one thing needful And at the critical moment Busl-
ness stepped in to the rescue; Business with the
money guaranty, with organizing skill, win reaGy
way of rushing its big enterprises Gaod IhiOGgd and
Railroad methods saved the ,WnOIe'
The work was well laid out among responsible COM
mittees. The word went forth that now the enter
nrse was on its feet Conversions became numerous;
subscriptions too; whole business streets were can
vassed. and it demanded courage IN the unOeneVer
10 say no. The huge Coliseum went up as by magic.
The Invitation went forth to all the singers 10000
wanted New Observation-Disclosures eVen-Was
good for nearly the amount coua honGr te udrlT ~
sight. BY choral societies, cluDs, cnoIrs, groups
who had sung in conventions, they poured IN.
Many new societies spTang up for the occasion /
musical instruction IN the pubnc schools hau
silently been feeding all these fountains They came
together with enthusiasm; 1t waxed warmer ana
brighter with TehearsalS the sense OF participating
and feeling like singing particles IN the i've frag-
ments of the great whole to be fused into one
conscious life the mutual magnetism, the sense OF
pride of progress, OF cooperation while tne glan9
elimination lOOmed beyond-thls was inspiring ana
uplifting, was great good IN itself, Almost enough
to offset the bTag the claptTap and the humbug OF
the earlier stages, even should the cOnsummation
foH As fort the GRAND orchestra (ON lnStrumentSl,
it was simply matter of business and money TO
bring the elements of that together
The success of the Jubilee IN sOno shape having
been fOregOne conclusion, those who now took IN
hand to draw the actual working plans soon found 1t
necessary TO reduce It's scale somewhat TO erng ~
within practicable dimensions Instead OF D,OOO
singers the limit set at 10000; the Coliseum, ln-
stead Of 50000 to hold less than 30 900 hearers
say $1,000 counting stage and auditorium together.
Large enough, in all conscience. With every such
reduction the plan gained In the opinion OF really
musical persons One by one many OF those gave III,
accepted part IN the management or III the perform
ance saying Since its is certain let us try
TO make it worthy of success let MS mold ITS charac-
ter far possible to consistency of true ar
tistc end and outne-make 1t musical IN the best
sense we can, eliminate nonsense wholly, keep
guns and anvils within reasonable bounds and give
the highest music talr chance. Hence Gonsdera
bic modification of the programmes The 2QOC
school children, reduced TO 1000 were to have the
own day, sweet and peaceful, set apart, and not b
huddled in with the general medley o
noisy cannOnading chOruses. and all the
boisferous excitement sure to go herewith. The
Ninth symphony was wisely voted quite impractica-
bIe The duration of the Festival having been in
creased from three to five days, gave room for two
programmes almost exclusively of classical selcc-
tions. The five programmes as definitely settled
were pointed to miracles Of skill and genius y
Yet what was good in them common, the most
familiar chOruses of well-knOwn OratOriOs, DC; what
was uncommon was Of questionable taste, as guns
and anvis for sublime occasion. And these lncon-
gruOus elements queeTly mingled. Which was
the ruling element which set the key and Yalnly
dOminatedf Plainly, the pieces which the unmu-
steal many like the best the national airs, &c. with
4ba Tho classical CplpctiOug had " m
confess. the look of being put in apoogeticaly. in
order TO cOnciliate the higher taste. lIhe sop 10
CeTberus" Teversedl But we shall see
U.-A fetO Notes on the Programmes and Performance
The first days programme ceremonial, inaug-
uTal sensational patriotic, prayer and addresses, un-
heard while that vast multitude - 600 facing II OCO
gazed in wonder on itself and felt the inspiration Of
a scene the grandeur and beauty of which were un-
imaginable before. That spectacle needed no speech,
no music even, to make its elOquence sublime and ir-
rcsistbe That the secret OF the great impression
throughout all the days; many beings met and held
together there in full sight of each other and in per
feet order What but music could secure such order
Prayer and speech were brief; but even could they
have been heard they were supertluous, What fit
ter prayer than that religious Luther Choral Elm
JeSe Burg" which follOwedf Full, rich, solemn,
grand the chords rolled forth from 10000 voices,
supported by the great orchestra, but more by
that most powerful organ lsmall, but built for
pOwer), which really seemed the backbone Of the
chorus. We could wish it had been haTmOnized by
Bach, instead of Nieoai, if only that Bach might
have had some recognition among the other mighty
masters Two things were proved at once that
there was no increase OF oudness at all proportoned
TO the number Of voices; and that, II the far
thest voices reached the ear fragment Of second
later than the nearest the ear was not aware OF t,
while many individual lmperfectlODs, even false
notes, possibly, were swallowed up IN the great
volume and momentum of the mass. The same held
good Of the other pieces of plain choral harmony.
Kellers American Hymn and the concluding
" God Save the Queen" (which one Of our Psalm
S H@eca snhE to NV oeS County, & AS with ali the
spread-eagle accOmpaniments of drums, guns, bells,