The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1872-07-31

Of colors charm the eyc, while the appropriate sig,
ui0csncc ct the decorations Is a constant reminder
ct the p0r'ori cl the festival as celebration OF IN,
tcrnatioud concord,
rms CHORUS
Has been gathered principally nom New ENGLAND,
although NEARLY vVcty northern state has scnt rcp
roscNIativc Society," So numerous wcrc the ppp)iCo,
ttoNs that Il is said second body vt twenty tbouS.
/ and might havv Ncce Formed, an the members have
/ been diligently Pwc,icing the music Tor months
aud wcrc pQOlrcd 10 pass a personal examination
I before admiuvd, rhyn thew is what Is povticpDly
/ called the BOQOct OF Artists" body vt one hun,
! drcd emtuem singers, brought together by personal
| Invitation from all parts ct the land These slug
choice picccS OF music \ professional operate
Chorus nom the clrs renders certain selections Tor
which their training peculiarly ITS them,
vUE INSTRUMENTS,
Little need be said ct the orchestra further than
that h consists ct tive thousand musicians gathered
chiefly irom the cities lisa vast array OF vlolius,
flutes, trumlets aud drums, all In pmciierd hands,
aud made TO speak In harmony. The organ cou.
struccd Tor the festival is the largest ever made,
the largest pipe being thirtytwo feet In length, A
steam engine outside the building raises the wind
Tor it, and when played with FULL force 1t roars
through the great cdihce with noise that rises
above the volume of voices, and is heard far away
outside II must be ACKNOWLEDGED, however, that
the power of the instrument is the only thing TO be
praised, The keyboard is sixty feet distaut from
the pipes, and either from imperfect mechanism
unskillnl management lameutablt confusion has
on more than one occasion been caused by the In.
strument. Another auxiliary must be described
one not usually rrckoucd among musical mstru-
meuts. Just outside of the Coliseum is q line OF
twenty more pieces OF artillery, served 10y regular
companies OF soldiers. Wires extend from them
sevcrally to q stand near the Conductors platform
Here sits puuy man at a keyboard, aud as he
touches the keys the cannon fired by electric
current, responding TO his touch readily rs the
wire to the fingers of the pianist 1t might be
thought that the report would be stunning dscord
but it is not So The discharges Of the cannon fur
nsh the drum beat in the pieces where employed,
aud accompanying, as it docs, the sound OF vast
multitude of voices and Instruments, there is no
disproportiou The reports sound only as the noise
of a bass drum, aud answer to the same effect as
that instrument in an ordinary band
THE OPENING PERFORMANCE.
The anniversary OF the Battle of Bunker Hill was
the day appointed for the opening Of the Festival
Leng before the appointed hour crowds throngcd
every avenue of approach, many however intending
only to catch the OVERLOOKING outside. The high
price Of admission at the beginning viz five dollars
together with the willingness OF many people that
else should test the the building caused
the first audiences TO be far below the capacity of
the house As the observer entered his eye naturally
swept with rapid glance the decorations and
rested upon the great mass of human beings occu-
pyng the space devoted TO the chorus Their places
were full Rank above rank the singers appeared, I
,roHdng the circular seats, which slightly SO
rs to give all view of the conductor. 1t was a
great mass of forms aud faces, broad field with
patches Of various cOlOrs which tue uttering of
aus and handkerchiefs gave the effect of breeze /
playing over it. A Boston clergyman, Rev Phillips
Brooks, offered an appropriate prayer. Then fol-
owed some Of the inevitable speech-making which
must needs accompany every New England celebrl-
ion. In the present case it was very much out of
place Gen. Banks, who has perhaps the noblest
'oce of all our public men, struggled manfully to
make himself heard but his words were audible to
,nly small portion of those present. The others
ner awhile manifested their Impotence by contin-
lous applause which in this was sign OF any
hing but satisfaction. The orator presently took
he hint and gave way to what the people wanted to
rear.
The appearance of Gilmore on the conductors
taud was the occasion of well-bestOwed paudits
which, coming from many thousands, made
ouud like the roar of the sea. The mighty organ
nd the combined instruments strike together the
amiliar notes of Old Hundred and play few bars.
Then the great Chorus takes up the words Of the
salm, and with slow, majestic progress, give utter
nee TO the grand old Choral The effect was over
ybelmiug. The immense volume Of harmonious
ouud, fitting so well the stately grandeur of the
music, the association connected with the tune, the
manifest proprety Of the ascrpion Of praise, these
hings combined to produce a result which nothing
a the subsequent progress of the Festival could
ute equal The audience seemed at first awed.
trong men wept under the tide Of their emotions,
nd when it was done a moment of silence cnsucd
efore the hearers could recover themselves TO be-
tow the tokens Of their approval.
There is not room to speak here OF the further
performances and incidents. Another letter will in
lude a summary account of the celebrated leaders,