The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1872-08-03
Jubilee JOttIn&s.

BosroN, June 25th, 1872.
DEAR COMMERCIAL Among the many journals,
little and great, represented at the June jubilee, 1
an quite unwilling you should be forgotten. Though
hardly your authorized reporter, | am egotistical
enough to presume that you are willing to listen to q
little of this far-away melody through my ear. Or
are you so very far-awsy that our pipings here are
of little interest TO you?
L cannot but feel as if we are hearing and seeing
one of the greatest musical wonders that any time
has known. You will get from time TO time the
reports of its progress and rndoubted success; will
hear of its vast size, and many unique characters
tics, and yet only those who have seen and felt it
can know of its real grandeur and vastness.
1t seems almost as if music had been waiting for
just the civilization and the perfection of national
and individual enterprise and perseverance that it
has found in America, to express itself in this grand
public way.
You will remember how chimeric seemed Mr.. Gill
more's plan in 1869, of having a national Peace
Festival. Yet this was far from u failure. For months
past he and many others have been intensely work
ing to effect what has been so finely accomplished.
All in all, willingly setting aside its defects, every one
acknowledges our National Peace Jubilee a success.
The " Coliseum " is erected on the " Back Bay
1t is very enormous, rather barn-like perhaps, very
gay with bunting and paint. The contrast between
the ancient Roman Coliseum and our modern Boston
building. is very suggestive of the two vastly different
civilizations. The order of architecture is simple,
and has a very cheerful, holiday, yet shrewd, bust
ness look, if L may so speak of it. 1t came up in six
weeks yet L am not certain that you would feel safer
in q seat of Roman stone and mortar than here.
L might send you the dimensions of the interior in
square feet; tell you of the nails and lumber that
were used IN completing it, and Of the number of the
seats; and you would have a sorry conception of its
~vastness. Only as you see the immense audience
and chorus stretching off endlessly, row after row,
aisle after aisle, n perfect sea of faces, can you really
feel the great size of the building. In the distance
the blending of the colors gives an appearance of
fower-parterres.
Probably the greatest feature of the jubilee has
been the European bands. There could scarcely be
n UlaoSonfar IF EXCHANGING national ounnl
ments and greetings than by the mingled music of
these foreign with American bands. Our American
ears surely never listened to sweeter music. The
band of ' La Garde Republicaine of Paris seems
however to have carried off the palm. Then there
are the English and Prussian bands-whom it is
hardly fair, if indeed it is possible. to compare. The
excitement and enthusiasm aroused by their playing
was wonderful. At one of the concerts after the
playing of the "Marseilles Hymn" ~ the orches-
ira, the French band responded with America"
Cheer after cheer went up. The audience seemed
fairly wild with excitement. The English band un-
der Dan Godfrey is a splendid company Of men.
Their playing of our American hymns and national
airs il such a hearty stirring way, seemed to be a
nearer link to the 1" Mother Country , than we have
felt in q long time. Our Teuton friends are in &C.
stacies over the rendering of 'The Watch on the
Rhine - by their brothers from the Fatherland."
Boston has given them all royal fare and treatment.
No city could possibly have been prouder. They
have been dined and feted till they are in a fine way
ofebeing spoiled.
{ Strauss, the famous composer of waltz-music, has
been electrifyIng every one. He is q wonderfully
magnetic little man. Be one never so staid, he feels
himself unconsciously keeping time TO the music in
of a Waiting way. At the great Inter-
national Ball tonight, he is 10 lead the orchestra.
This is to be a very grand affair. Room there will
be for ten Thousand dancers. The building lights
up very brilliantly. The place where the choruses
have been seated is to be filled with flowers and
plants,-two acres and more of outdoor
beauty. Then there will be the light of the Calcium
burners over all this. Do you remember your fairy
story reading sufficiently well to complete the pic
ture2
1 heard Madame Peschka Sentner in several con-
certs; she is noted by our greatest musical critics to
be the finest soprano that has ever visited America.
Her register is perfectly marvellous. Far up in the
unheard of region of high notes she seems
perfectly at home. Her voice penetrated every por-
Of the coliseum, sounding out as clearly and as
sweetly as any birds. She gets fabulous prices,
however, for her trills.
Frans Abt conducted the chorus in the singing of
beautiful piece When the Swallows Homeward
Fly, know how exquisitely sweet the music is.
is a very pleasant but far from q sentimental
looking man. His countrymen are giving him kind
receptions every where through the country.
On Monday of this week the finest choral societies
in the country, led by the "Handel and Hayden "
Of Boston, performed Handel's o~ratorio of {" Israel in
Their chorus singing is well nigh ~faultless.
Madame Rudusdorff, the English soprano, sang in
the solos. Boston affects oratorio music much. 1
know of no city where you could have found so large
and appreeiatiYe an audience for any production 50
classical as this is.
1Heft IA iSSo VI II CLap-iIdp iIe II ne
musical programme (s Dwight's musical journal
it, than on the former jubilee music. The
. Anvil Chorus and "Star-Spangled Banner"
we're given with the full accompaniment of cannons
Ind bells. Yet the effect was far from " vulgar"
ls some of the lesser critical have it. Mrs. West sang
.randly the solo in the "Star-Spangled Banner
The pleasantest memory l have from all my Jubilee
experience, is that of the colored chorus singing,
John Brown Very much did we all enjoy Sent
ier's wonderful arias and Strauss magic waltzes,
,ut the music of this lowly, yet redeemed people,
ound its echo in our hearts. 1t would have done
heart and eyes good to have seen the little CON-
,any wind down the long, long aisle and take their
,laces before the audience. The listeners we're nearly
beside themselves, and their applause was nobly
given. They sang " mine eyes have seen the glory
# the coming of the Lord and We all joined in the
,horus. Perhaps it wasn't music of the classic type,
tut it was grandly thrilling and human. 1 couldn't
feeling that if our national and individual sac
.ifce was great in the g war;" surely we were reap
ng rich fruit now as a reward. A smaller band of
negroes from the South sang some of their quaint
songs on the next day very gweetly.
The greatest lesson which the jubilee has taught
Ind which will remain after the g big drum =" is for
gotten and the September winds have blown down
he coliseum, is that in regard to the chorus. There
vas a company of 10000 men and women from all
the country, who had met to sing their pieces
which they had been practicing for months. The
sanguine had not looked for such perfection of
,horus singing from so great a number as was at
aimed last week. Through the difficult, trying selee-