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GRAND MUSICAL FESTIVALS.

HEN a succession of objects of the same nature is presented either to the eye or any of the other senses, the one which contains the greatest quantity of matter, or that which eminently surpasses the rest in its qualities, absorbs the attention, however excellent according to their several degrees, the rest of the series may be. Just thus does it happen with the Musical Festivals which now annually take place. Some of these are admirable specimens of art—the selections consist of nearly the same materials as those which establish higher claims to notice—the principal performers are the first of their several classes-the audiences congregate all that are distinguished by fashion or taste within the local circuit. But there are others which, by the power conferred by geographical position, by fine buildings, by a rich and populous neighbourhood, and more than all, by a gradual cultivation of the art over the whole society which at last breaks forth irresistibly and demonstrates the force thus accumulated-places thus situated, we say, have attained a magnitude and a preeminence in their musical exhibitions, which draw towards them the general attention, while to the rest belongs little more than the local attraction they at present exert, and will we hope long continue to enjoy. Three meetings, all of a superior cast, have taken place this year-the meeting of the three choirs at Hereford for the hundred and second time, one at York and one at Derby. But York so immensely surpasses the others, that the facts we have already stated are established by the examples to be drawn from the three meetings. If then we pass lightly over the first and the last, and give the details of the second at great length, our readers will be aware of the grounds for such a distinction. The design in all is very nearly the same, but the manner of the execution gives the greater a superiority, that makes it imperative upon us to adopt such a course of description, with a reference to general, to public feeling.

VOL. VII. NO. X III.-DEC. 1825.

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HEREFORD.

The meeting of the three choirs of Hereford, Worcester, and Gloucester, for the benefit of the Widows and Orphans of Clergymen in those dioceses, took place at Hereford on the 16th, 17th, and 18th of September, 1825, under the conduct of Dr. Clarke Whitfield; Mr. François Cramer was the leader; and the principal singers were—

Miss Stephens
Miss Paton
Miss Travis

Mr. Vaughan

Mr. W. Knyvett

Dr. Chard
Mr. Bellamy, and
Signor De Begnis.

The service of the day is performed and a sermon preached at the Cathedral on the first morning of the meeting. Dr. Carr, the Bishop of Chichester, preached. The music appended and introduced was the Overture to Saul, the Dettingen Te Deum, Dr. Boyce's duet "Here shall soft charity repair," and the Coronation Anthem. The Messiah was done on the second morning, and on the last the Overture to the Crucifixion, a MS. oratorio of Dr. C. Whitfield, an offertorio composed by Dr. Chard, organist of Winchester, and "the Resurrection" by the former, were given. The second part was a selection from Samson.There were three evening concerts at the Shirehall, at one of which Miss Cann, a little girl of twelve years old, the daughter of Mr. John Cann, of Hereford, played Drouet's variations to God save the King, in a manner which spoke much musical talent. The sums collected were as follow:-Tuesday £265, Wednesday £240, Thursday £398. 6s. Tickets sold £1269. 19s. 6d.

The collection is always appropriated without deduction to the Charity-the receipts for tickets go to discharge the expencesif insufficient, the amount is made up by the six stewards-if more than adequate, the balance is given to the Charity. The collection was this year the largest ever known, with the single exception of the King's visit to Worcester.

YORK.

Although the Grand Festival of September, 1823, might be said to have had an anticipated existence in the hopes of a few of the distinguished amateurs of Yorkshire, yet the determination which fixed the celebration for that year must be considered as not the less sudden. So sudden indeed was it, that in no other part of the kingdom probably could the preparations necessary for so vast an undertaking have been arranged in the short period intervening between May and the date of the performances. We recur to this fact, in order to shew how widely, even at that time, the spirit to which local charity and general art owe so much, was disseminated amongst the inhabitants of this great county. For this is an instance in which a public object has been moved and promoted by the efforts of all orders alike—from the second ecclesiastical Dignitary of the realm down to the chorus-singer or the ripieno instrumentalist. The spirit must to have been so powerful, must have been universal. Nothing short of this universality could have wrought such eminent success, and whatever be the combination of motives which has awakened so benevolent, so useful an impulse, nothing less than such a reward could have sufficiently compensated such enlargement of design, such energy and vigour in execution. The example of the county of York will stand amongst the most incontestable and the most commendable proofs of what can be effected by courage and skill—and from hence we date that enthusiastic perseverance which has arrived, in a second effort, at more prosperous results than crowned the first. Satisfied as the public must be of the benefits derived from these prodigious exhibitions of power, yet, convinced as we are of the indispensable occasion there will be found for a progressive excellence with a view to their established continuance, we would dwell with the more force upon this characteristic of the labours of the patrons and managers of the York festivals, in the earnest desire to keep alive the activity and excite the industry and invention of other committees. We have already seen the injurious tendency of a too contented acquiescence in the precedents of former festivals. It is an error of

the utmost magnitude to believe that such celebrations can continue long to attract the public regard, unless new and enlarged provisions for the general amusement and instruction be visible on every succeeding occasion. The arrangements must keep equal pace not only with the progression of the times, but with the knowledge and expectations of the public, and with the desire for novelty, which is one of the most common incentives of human actions.

Aware of the importance of not suffering the consideration of the next festival to sleep, the original committee never dissolved. The winding up of the accounts led to their meeting subsequently to the festival, and in 1824 the purchase of the ground for the site of the new concert-room, together with the preparations incident to that building (which we have narrated from the work of Mr. Crosse, at page 202 of our present volume) gave occasion for much consultation. Thus the chain was formed between the conclusion of the first and the commencement of the second festival, and these circumstances awakened even a livelier excitation in the minds of those most immediately concerned in the manage

ment.

No definite time had indeed been fixed for a second festival, but it was wisely opposed to the many who wished for its recurrence in the succeeding year, that the musical taste of the county, exalted as it is, could not be expected so soon to sustain so considerable a draft, while it is probable that the year 1825 was chosen in order to fill up the triennial succession with Birmingham and Norwich.

Amongst the earliest objects of the committee was the engagement of the conductor, and Mr. Greatorex was again nominated. That gentleman went down to York in January to put the arrangements in train. The King accepted the office of patron. The Noblemen and Gentlemen who supported the first festival were applied to-the committee entered seriously into the work of engagement, and a band of six hundred performers was the limitation at which it seemed proper to stop in determining the scale of the performances. There can scarcely be a more difficult point to decide, than such a choice between the possibilities of precision and power in the production of effects. We shall hereafter perceive that a sound discretion was exercised.

A negotiation was opened with Madame Catalani, but the treaty fell to the ground, because the Committee peremptorily objected, and it appears to us, with unanswerable propriety, to the transposition of songs, connected with other pieces either preceding or following. We have already given our testimony* against such indulgences in our account of the former festival, and we again hold up our hands, because the Committee deserves the best thanks both of those who admire and those who profess the art, for making their stand upon such a point. The reason of the case is simple and clear both as to the music and the musician. Unless the composer has treated his work with insufficient consideration, it must suffer by a change of key. For his sake then transposition ought rarely to be permitted. Again-if a song lies out of the compass of a singer it ought to be a notice to the artist to seek for another, and upon similar though with additional reasons. The composer has decided to what voice his expression is best adapted, and a change is a departure from his principles, and must therefore be hazardous, as effect is concerned. Neither can any limits be assigned to the capricious experimenting of singers. Madame Catalani has already taken the tenor part in the opening of the Messiah, and the base in Non piu andrai-she has also in singing Rossini's "Elena oh tu che chiamo" assumed the contralto, thus absolutely running through the whole compass. If she sings all these things as written, it might serve to display great diversity and range of power-but by the aid of transposition, she makes them all soprano songs. Why then are the effects intended by the composer to be sacrificed? And why is Mr. Vaughan and Signor De Begnis to be deprived of two of the finest specimens of the art in their separate and legitimate departments? Is Madame Catalani greater in "Non piu andrai" than in "Son Regina ?” Certainly not. On the contrary, she herself and her art are both lowered and dishonoured. Conductors and the public are much too lenient in the indulgence they lend to such fancies. In so high a demonstration of art as the York Festival, it was undoubtedly of the utmost importance to adhere to the right. Such exhibitions should contain none but the choicest and the most perfect specimens of art, and these should be varied as much as is consistently

* Vol. 5, page 522.

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