The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-03
THE "PEAOE JUBILEE"
The Bostonians and Their Monster
Csncert-A Glance at Its Proportions.


The ''oficial programme" for the "Greai
National Peace Jubilee" at Boston, during the
third week Of June. bursts upon US. despite its
advertising duant-cou,riers and preliminary
procession of beheralding bravuras, with daz-
cling splendor. The New York Times says
Of it:
Regarded sskance, at first, by the sober and
solid men Of Boston, sneerlDgly sighted as
merely another adve rtising dodge OF the artful
but lllustrious Gilmore. Its artistic excellence,
patriotic purpose, popular favor, and mercantile
advantages 80 combined, at length, to dsarm
hostile criticism, that from being sort OF
monster concert, undertaken Dy the Julien %
speculation, it has come to be regarded as
grand emblamati, welcome Of peace, and has
swelled to the proportions OF = national fest or
Jubilee" 1t is patronized BY the President,
superinSsuded by Mayor Shurtleff and the Bos-
ton city government, and upheld by the sub
scriptions Of merchants and musicians-in
short, it is discounted d success.
We have called the originator of this festival
the Julien Of America; and both his announce
ments and arrangements justify the title-he
himself, with charming Jullienistlc admix-
tuIe of modesty and assertion, simply de-
scrlbcs himself thus: "Projector, MIR. P. 8.
Gilmore" But his magnificent appointments,
bis superb choruses. his mighty orcheslras,
his anvils, his drums, bands, bells and bat
terles, dwarf Jullien's grandest conceptions,
throw all memory Of Jullien's immaculate kids
and broad expanse Of spotess shirt bosom
into deep eclipse, and make this Ossa OF or
chestral leaders but wart.
Everything is grandiose in this festival.
The building itself is ian immense coliseum
capable OF holding so 600 persons. The e1-
OF anQOnnCel haVO
been. and really has been, " extraordinary. "
The ''oratorio chorus" comprises no less tLan
800 choice-we had almost said "yolces," IN
our enthusiasm, but cheek ourselves IN season
to put it the way the programme does-"60O
vocal organizations. The grand orchestra IL
of 1000 musicians. picked from the best binds
and musical &c cietIes in the country. Indeed,
everything is done in round numbers. The
very anyis for the "Auvil Chorus" are 100
strong, and 100 stout fellows are hired 10 ham,
mer them and the 100 anvilplayers are cho..
sen, by stroke of genius Julien himself
might envy, from the Boston fire ladies. And
while the anvils clang, thousand musicians
chime in with full force OF wind and string, q
battery o,artlllery roars for tn. base. O chime
of great bells sottens the crash OF the guns,
and the chorus of 800 voices rises harmonious
over all.
SO, too, when the jubilee opens with Luther's
majestic '.Ein' Feste Burg," the largest organ
attainable accompanies. II it be select or
chestra" that performs the overture to "Tinn-
haiiser," vet this ''select" body ID six hundred
strong. No voice but Parepa-Rosa's could be
thought OF in such an auditorium for the So
prano none but Phillipps' for the contrallo;
but when tho former sings the "Ave Maria"
from Gounod, "the Introductory violin obliga-
to, Usually rendered by one performer" is
PLAYED by two hunored. So, in tie overture
to SRA Diavolo," fifty trumpeters essay the
trumpet solo" part; in that to ''Stradella," q
reed band Of five hundred performs. When
the ''Star spangled Banner" is given, oil the
terrific business of the Anvil Chorus is again
done: and when "My Country ts of Thee" is
sung everything goes of at once-chorus, or
chestra, organ, bands, every drummer beating,
every bell ringing, every musician blowing, the
infantry all firing, and the cannon peal
ing In the distance in exact time with the
music"
all this goes on for five days, with perform
ance each day whereof these are but faint indI-
cations. The very bass drum is eight feet in
diameter, and it is said that the O'BaldwiD,
the ilustrious prize-fghter, has consented to
serve at the drum-sticks, and, though by in-
stict man of war to JOIN III the cry, 'let US
have peace"-he will probably make it point
Of professional pride to burst the skins, or, Mt
all events, to give them ''what Paddy gave the
drum" we cannot doubt, in fine, that this
will prove indeed "a feast OF sublime aud i'll
spring harmony" as pec advertisement; nor,
on tho other hand can wo doubt that, when
the fifth day closes and ell has bctn said and
sung, that the audience will breathe, even
more feryently than at The beginning, "Let US
have peaco."