Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-08-20

The doors were thrown open promptly at ~
O'Clock. on last Wednesday evening, under lie
conduct of the gentlemanly ushers. Tne iaise
auf1ience WINS handsome testimonial TO The
respect in which the talents OF the Misses nu'-
Ter are Justly esteemed. The night LOT Inc oc-
casion was beautiful. Star-beams oanceo on
the shadows of the great trees. and the moon
looked down ever SO brightly from beauuiui
blue sky, dappled as If by painters orush'
with an occasional cloud. The scene was As
vivid as chapter from the pages OF the Orien-
tai meets. twas night to invoke the spirits
of great masters, even such as Handel, Haydn,
beethoven Bach, and Mendelsohn were. And
the lines of the poet are not NAL apropos to the
minister's opening prayer:-
"Oh! what gentle ministrant is music,
To piety, to mild, to penitent piety!
oh, 1t gives plumage to the tardy prayer
That fingers in our lazy earthly air,
And melts with it to Heaven"
The programme of the evening began Win
the beautiful Anthem-"Ths earth Is the
Lords" This was followed by q succession o,
brilliant, highly finished pieces. Space will
not permit an elaborate expose of the grand
compositions. The solo, "Robin Adair, - by Miss
Butler, was loudly encored. and by request was
repeated. The gentleman, in his request for Its
repetition, paid touching compliment to Its
sweetness and the song of "Robin Adair" rem
dered with all the poFer. and wild pathos ofthe
songstress, who once eld Europe spell-bound
awakens emotions BY its pathetic Sadness
which such tones can awaken. It is lasting
tribute to the monument Of musical genius
"a sky-born messenger on silvery wing
Floating or sweeping triumphant thing"
How potent is the spell of music, how full of
r.,J1 o.
kered Frenchmen warbling the ''bonne Vieille."
the "Soldats au pas. au pas" with tears rolling
down their moustaches, or the Scotchmen at a
Burns festival, singing Burns, while the drops
tHinkled on their furrowed cheeks, as each
rough hand was flung out to grasp its neigh
boris, while early scenes and the sacred recol-
lections of the past came rushing back at the
sound of the familiar words and music. Trage-
dy queens by the dozen have expired on the
stage in appropriate blank verse without lach-
rymal effect, but behold, q vagabond with a
corked face and banjo, sing little song. strike
a wild note, and see the heart set thrilling with
happy pity.
An intermission of twenty minutes was Civ
en-, during which refreshments were served
The affair was most recherche. In the vestibule
Mrs. c. presided over a beautiful flower
stand, weighed down with lovely bouquets.
fresh from the garden Of Gull,' and replete
with natural sweetness and beauty. The In
strumental duets-"Schuloff's Grand Waltz
and the "Galop Brilliante"-were gems OF art.
The rendition of ia Primevera."a vocal solo,
was excellent. Tney recalled the wild fancy OF
Salvador expatiating in the boundless domain
of sound, not less than amid the forest scenes
of the Apprentices, when he found splendid ex-
preston for his love in an opera, while the
shadow of death lost its gloom in the fervor Of
soul with which he composed his mysterious
anthem.
success, closing with the Quartette "Gently
signs the breeze" and-(Phun for everybody