THE NORWICH FESTIVAL.

[SECOND NOTICE.] WE commence the second chapter of this report with a brief sketch, as promised, of the new oratorio. It opens with a slow fugue in C minor, eight crotchets to the bar, of a plaintive but dignified character ; which proceeds through the usual courses and vicissitudes of the fugue, save only that it is broken by the occasional intrusion of a subject in triple time, which subsequently forms part of a chorus in the oratorio. This consti- tutes the overture. To this follows a chorus, " Gentle night, 0 descend,"—a lovely strain in A fiat :I, in which the Disciples are supposed to invoke the shades of night to shelter their loved master from the fury of his persecutors. The desertion and treachery of Judas is next described. Judas himself is introduced, and, in a recitative and song of great power, gives utterance to the torments of conscience which distract him. This song, sung by l'uneirs, is admirable for the descriptive character of its accom- paniment, which painfully expresses the turbid workings of a guilty mind under the influence of flair. As in so many of SPOIIR'S vocal compositions, the voice part is subsidiary to the orchestra,— a mode of writing which has often been censured in him. Its pro- priety must be determined by its result in particular cases, and not disallowed in accordance with abstract principles. In this case, for example, it is obviously in keeping with and tributary to the subject. The instrumental accompaniment of a song may be considered as the articulate revelation of those inward winds of passion which in real life remain unuttered because unutterable. In moments of strong passion, while the breast is most active, the tongue is often least so. The patient, as the Greeks say, (the ortcovo, or experiencer of the passion,) expresses himself in im- perfect phrases—in outcries and adjurations : the rest is left to conjecture. Music, or musical accompaniment, supplies this re- mainder, enables us to peep into the very heart, and to read the passion entire, even as it is written there. The voice part in the above song is characteristically marked by short and frequent ex- clamatory points ; an unbroken strain would have been out of place; but the accompaniments leave nothing to concealment— the conscience of Judas-cries front the orchestra.

The beautiful part of Mary, supported throughout the oratorio with consummate sweetness by Madame &mai A USE N, dates its commencement from this point, and exercises to the end a para- mount influence over the hearer. " Though all thy friends prove faithless,"—a song in A major 6-8, with a chorus of other Disciples occasionally taking up the strain,—introduccs her. The character of the song is rather that of loving attachment than of cold devo- tion ; but, being at the same time one of the purest. refinement, is in our opinion all the more lifelike and moving firom this cause, and is in keeping with the whole spirit of the work, which, as a con- temporary* has well remarked, is "dramatic but not theateiea." Much difficult recitative falls to the share of Mr. Howls in this part, which he got over with great discretion. We have then the remorse of Peter—but of a character carefully distinguished from that of Judas: there is no frantic raving here, such as belongs to imperfect penitence, but the subdued grief of true contrition. The air (" Tears of sorrow ") in E flat, common time, is a flowing, though mournful air; and nothing could exceed the expressive ele- gance of Mr. BALM'S delivery of it. A short chorus of the Dis- ciples then introduces a fugue in C major, also in connnon time, on the words " Thou alone art his refuge." It is a fugue of small elaboration on a theme of no striking originality, but it is full of good effect ; and the interruptions and returns occasioned by a solo of the principal female voice, with some recurrence of the previous chorus, are particularly well conceived. What follows is essentially dramatic. The judgment- hall is opened, and by the continued aid of St. John's descriptions, delivered in recitative accompanied, the whole scene is brought before us in vivid colours. Then succeed the examination of wit- nesses, the reproaches of the accuser Philo, the mediation of Nico- demus and Joseph of Arimathea, the furious rejection of their imp-

to mercy by the priests and people, the demand for instant judgment, the sentence of Caiaphas, and the passage to the cross. This portion of the oratorio embraces an unbroken succession of recitatives, songs, and choruses, of the utmost diversity of cha- racter ; and the mind is kept on the stretch from first to last in a state of breathless interest and suspense. Of a certainty, music can go no nearer to the reality of things than it has done in this at- tempt to portray the tragic close of the life of Christ.

The second part of Calvary opens with a short symphony, in F sharp minor, introducing a chorus of the Disciples, interspersed with solos, expressive of their anguish on beholding the prepara- tions for the crucifixion. To this succeeds the chorus of the * The Morning Chronicle. priests and people—horribly brutal and ferocious in its character, in which the Saviour is taunted on the doss and bid to save him: self. This is perhaps the most powerful and wonderful movement in the whole oratorio. In a recitative and lovely air, in A flat 943, which follows, Madame STOCKHAUSEN brought us back from the horrors of the previous scene, and melted us with the quiet pathos she infused into her performance. Her husband was to have ae• eotnpanied her on the harp, but was untbrtunately absent through illness, and the instrument was obliged to be put into inferior hands. But the " consummate flower " of the oratorio was a little terzetto which inunediately follows this song. It is for two sopranos and an alto, in the key of E major 2-4 adagio ; and was sung by Madame S FOCI{ HAUSEN, Miss BIRCH, and Miss HAwes, in the character of Disciples—" Jesus, heavenly master, thy love forsakes us not in this dark hour." We prophecy that this trio will never be heard in a concert-roont without an encore. A very fine and solemn chorus in D flat 3-4, " All-merciful God, in this dread hour of death do thou regard him," succeeds to the above; it is more original than some of the choruses in the oratorio, and contains much fine part-writing : the accompaniments are quite independent and productive of charming contrast : it was

beautifully sustained by the voices. From this point a peculiar character is imparted to the movements, which is maintained to the end of the work. Mr. Honns's delivery of the difficult pieces of descriptive recitative, both here and throughout, deserves the highest praise that can be bestowed upon it. A distant rumbling of the drums at the words " it is finished," and which continues to

grow on the ear at intervals during a short chorus of the Disciples, " His earthly race is run," prepares the mind for the conclusion,

which is near at hand. The priests and the people chant in broken, fearful chorus, while the accompaniments express the gathering of the tempest. As the tempest rises so rises their despair, with climax on climax, mixed with rage and recrimination.

Nothing can be imagined more terrible than what we may call their tumultuous remorse. We would point out to particular notice in

this chorus, which concludes the oratorio, the admirable relief afforded to the loud passages by the introduction of parts less noisy though not less appalling—as where the rising of spectres from the tomb is hnagined, and again at the words "Let our guilt- less children plead before thee." For strength of expression, we would especially name the music which accompanies the words " Who was the murderer ? Caittphas—thou! " and the shrieking passion of another passage which descends in semitones through some frightful half-octave.

After what we have said, we need hardly add, that Calvary is, in our opinion, &OUR'S d'cruvre. Without possessing the heroic breadth of HANnee's style, the classic simplicity of Myrna, or the spontaneous unfailing melody of MOZ ART, SPOHK has powers of his own which place hint justly by their side. In the quality of

seizing and expressing the true character of a passion, he has never been surpassed ; his pathos draws its best testimony in the tears of his audience. Although somewhat passed the meridian of life, he exhibits in his music so steady a progress,. not to say rapid growth of excellence, that, great as he now is, we are far front be- lieving he has reached the zenith of his powers, and have no doubt that if life be continued to him he will achieve still greater tri- umphs than those we have here had the pleasure of recording.* We now pass to the remaining performances of this Festival.

. Those of Thursday morning cohcluded with a selection from the English version of .MozAwr's Requiem, arranged by Professor Tivt.oa under the name of lic.demption. This work was also

performed at the last Norwich Festival. The original score, though containing some of the finest music MozAar ever wrote, has been a sealed book to the English public owing to the words, which embody those doctrines of the Romish Church felt to be most objectionable by Protestants. By converting it from a mass

into an oratorio, with the addition of a tiny necessary links to con- nect the parts, Mr. TA YLOU has qualified the work for admission into the scheme of a musical festival, and no churchwarden can now slam the door in MozAne's thee. This portion of the per- formance was in every respect creditable to those concerned. The concert of Thursday evening opened with BEETHOVEN'S * We wish to mention here a, few matters of fact relating to SPORE'S invi- tation and visit. It is a circumstance exceedingly honourable to this great musician, that when he was asked what remuneration he would require Mr his trouble and loss of time in coming over to conduct his oratorio, he, in reply, only expressed a hope Unit he might be indemnified. His words, we believe, were " Would the Committee object to pay the expenses of his journey ?" We are glad to learn that the unaffected modesty of this reply, and the subse- quent proceeding—the coming over to England without making any bargain with the Committee—were properly appreciated by the latter. We believe it has been determined to present Herr Spotlit with a stun, over and above has expenses, exceeding a hundred guineas. SPOIIR arrived in Norwich on the Saturday preceding the Festival, after sojourning a few days in London at the house of Professor TAYLOR. He was received on his arrival at Norwich by the Mayor, who entertained him during the whole of his visit with great hospitality ; and on the Saturday following he returned to town with Mr. 'I./m.0u, and rei:mbarked for Germany on the suc- ceeding morning. The brief duration of Sron it's visit to England was owing

to the peculiar obligations connected with his situation of Capelmeister at Cassel, which rendered it imperative upon 1dm to return within a fortnight. The circumstance of Isis performing in public at no other place but Norwich,

which has been erroneously attributed to some selfish stipulation made to that effect by the Committee of the Festival, is entirely owing to the same cause, The Committee, we believe, did stipulate, and with good right, for the pre- ference—that is, they did not wish SPOOR to perform elsewhere before the Festival; but afterwards nothing on their part would have prevented the great violinist from giving concerts had he chosen to do 'SO, or had his engage- ments in Cassel permitted the extension of his visit. Symphony in D. The vocal selection was, as usual, dashed with a certain portion of alloy in the shape of " popular music." Miss Hswas invited us to accompany her to the bottom of the sea, - where she had a cave; Mr. BALTE, in a song of his own, took us all to his " heart," which was also his " home ; " Mr. PHILLIPS in- troduced us for the hundredth time to " god Bacchus, a friend of his." When songs of this class, commonplace in the music and nonsensical in the words, are encored, as two of the above were, by the same audience which applauds SPOIIR and affects to adore Ussinee, we hardly know what value to put upon a taste formed of such incongruous materials. A word to the composers and singers of these songs. Miss HAWES is a good musician, and the chaste and expressive manner in which she delivered the greater part of what fell to her share in the morning selections, denoting as it did her perfect fbeling of the music, forbids the idea that she can entertain any regard for the sort of stuff she sang at the pianoforte in the evening. She has been too well brought up in music, we are Sure, to be unconscious of the poverty and 'wretchedness of such a song as she sang, for example, at the Wednesday's concert—too sensible not to know that the words of that song are the arrantest nonsense. If so, we would hint to her, that though her own private taste inay not be compromised by such a performance, she commits a species of disrespect towards her audience by supposing them less elegant and less intelligent than herself. Mr. Pinua es sings his own song "The best of all good company," with so much tire and spirit, that we apprehend he is not aware of the absurdity of the words on which he expends his animation. These words, we believe, are the production of Mr. Bs R R CORNwALL's unequal muse, and are intended to be taken for the outpouring of some genial spirit under the in- fluence of wine : but Mr. CORNWALL labours in vain to be thought intoxicated—his sobriety develops itself at every step, and as elle sea, the sett" indicated to the world nothing so much as the poet's unacquaintance with that clement, so " The vine, boys," Ike. only shows in a more striking point of view those respectable habits of life—that total abstinence from exciting liquors—which Mr. CORNWAT.I. is so unaccountably anxious to disclaim. " Spruce- beer, boys," it should have been ; for that describes the utmost de-

parture f'rom teetotalism that we can allow these verses to express. With such materials, it is only wonderful how Mr. Purraars should have composed so tolerable a table-song; but we wish in future he would choose words less impertinent, and uot trust to the warranty of a popular name.

The most pleasing and successful amongst the vocal pieces in this evening's selection were the Quartet and Chorus from Envy- (mike, sung by Madame SrocitiatISSEN, Miss HAWI s, Mr. FRANCIS, and Mr. BALFE ; the Seena, " Si lo sento," from SPOHR'S Faust, by Madame Srocanausses ; and the ever charming comic Duet, " 0 guardate che figura," by FERSIANI and Talons:am. The first and last were encored. The first part of the concert concluded with BEETHOVEN'S Demi:Wire Fantasia for the pianoforte, with vocal solo and choral accompaniments. The pianoforte was taken by Madame DE BELLEVILLE WRY ; the solos by MISS BIRCH, AlisS HAWES, ana Messrs. YOUNG, FRANCIS, HOBBS, and Ptinasies. This is one of those eccentric works of BenrIlOVEN which defy the ordinary rules of composition. The pianoforte sets out by itself on a sort of voyage of discovery, and, after exploring all the mthical climes and latitudes, suddenly stumbles, as it were, upon a melody—a beautiful creation, which siis2s like sonic unhoped-for, undreamt-of, happy island, smiling in richest beauty alone in the illimitable ocean. Presently the voices join in ; and, by an artful crescendo, this new-found joy is made to grow from single to mani- fold, till it bursts fbrth in one magnificent stream of harmonious rejoicing. So fiir nothing can be more finely conceived ; but then there come additions, which, if they rest their claim on ordinary musical grounds, we must pronounce not beantiful—if on special grounds of dramatic significance, we must declare nut intelligibk. As the Fantasia is expressly called " descriptive," we naturally search for meanings throughout ; and up to the point we have de- scribed we seem to find them in a sufficient coherent series ; but after this all is dark and doubtful, and consequently tedious, and the continued recurrence to the one thing beautiful (there is no second island in these seas, unfortunately) by no means compen- sates us for the lung blanks between, in which we are quite " at sea" again. In short, there is but one pleasurable idea in the Fantasia, and having alighted on that—not without much prelimi- nary penance—the hearer resents the attempt to draw him off from it.; and the general feeling, we think, is that the piece should either have concluded at the full point and climax above-men- tioned, or have gone on "to fresh fields and pastures new," (not to &ells new, as it really does) giving us other melodies, and deve- loping, as it were, the internal resources of this " island of the blest:" As we are in the carping vein, we must further suggest, that if this same beautiful melody is to be considered as a sort of happy island on the ocean of sound, beautiful as it is, BEETHOVEN, Wefar, can hardly be allowed to have been its Columbus. Though aot positively borrowed, it is not positively original ; and is a little like many other airs and floating fragments of melody. We wish we could bestow as much praise on her perfbrinance of this work as Madame DE BELLEVILLE OURY herself evidently bestowed pains; but her style of playing, which accords well with the showy inusie of THALBERG, and which therefore appeared to much greater advantage on a former evening, when she executed one of the forcible pieces of that master, does not seem to include any feeling for the delicacies of' cantabile; and the manner in which she attacked the melody was more analogous to the encountering with a foe

upon whom considerable revenge was to be taken, than calculated to raise those peaceful ideas which the author is supposed to have intended.

The second part of the concert opened with SPOIIR'S Overture .

to Faust, led by himself: it was performed with great spirit and precision. We have noticed already the most remarkable of the

vocal performances. The only other instrumental piece was a con- certo of LINDLEY'S, its which the veteran violoncellist appealed against Time to a jury that seemed well disposed to grant a ver- dict sought in such eloquent tones. The peroration was, as usual, long. The performance of Friday morning, consisting of the

wound up the Festival, as far as music was concerned. Hit were possible for a work of genius to become tiresome through repeti- tion, this oratorio would long since have palled on the public taste; but such an accident cannot happen to it. The Messiah, full of mixed grandeur and sweetness, equal in strength, compact, perfect in all its parts, is an immortal work, if ever there was one Never- theless, with the utmost reasonable enthusiasm, we are not blind to a very considerable amount of what we are forced to call humbug

connected with this oratorio. In the first place, there are certain

triennial eestacies about it, into which all singers engaged at festi- vals punctually go. Such a wonderful unanimity, combined with

punctuality, is calculated to astonish everybody—but conductors;

others. think it means musical rapture ; they know it means—no re- hearsal. The Messiah, in filet, costs neither singer nor player the

slightest trouble; and the consequence is, they not only recognize but take a very kind interest in the immortality of that work, gratefully fltvouring its introduction into every scheme of a festival. Then we have to make exceptions to the shape which much of the en-

thusiasm of' the public also takes. It seems to be a conventional practice to stand during the performance of some parts of the

oratorio : we have often asked " why ?" but never yet were in- formed. HANDEL'S airs form no part of the English Church service, and we cannot learn by what convocation of the clergy

of this kingdom it was first ordained, that when the fiddles shall commence a particular symphony, and :'hiss Iliwns shall take off her bonnet, then " the people shall rise." The subject of the Messiah is nearly identical with half-a-dozen other ora- torios, during the performance of which nobody ever thinks of leaving his seat. If the act of standing up is intended as the recognition of a peculiar sacredness, there is nothing in the Messiah which calls for it more emphatically than many parts of other oratorios do. Standing should therefore either be discon- tinues! altogether—which we cannot help thinking best—or be com- bined with understanding, and made reasonable. As it is, it dis- parag,es the sitting, and makes a monopoly of sanctity for the Messiah for which we can find no charter in the archives of music. There was " sich a getting up" on Friday week (the audience rising some thrice every quarter of an hour) as we confess to have quite annoyed us, we having paid for seats, and not knowing by what law we were thus withheld from possession. There are not wanting other indications of a certain cant peculiarly reserved for this oratorio. In some old copies of the book containing the words, there is to be seen a curious parade of capitals distinguishing particular passages—but for no sufficient reason, all the words having the saute claim to pious attention. This sort of thing, we venture to submit, is (to use a serviceable word we lately added to the English language) a little—and even not a little—hantbageous. If we reflect that the Messiah is the only oratorio that can be said to be familiarly or universally known to the English public, the re- gard in which it is held must appear highly promising for the pros t,ceution of this species of music. It cannot be doubted that there may yet be oratorios—that there are oratorios, in fact—of equal merit, which only require to be as well known to be as generally popular. The English, if they are not a musical, have usually the reputation of being a moral people, whereof their attachment to the oratorio may be taken partly in evidence ; and they have shown clearly enough that there is no readier way to teach them music than by associating it with religion. Nothing ought to be more gratifying than such a reflection ; for if, as we have affirmed, religion helps music, it is undoubtedly no less true that music helps reli- gion,—a fact obvious to all but those miserable ascetics, with the cotton ill their ears, who shut out nature and call it piety-,sunblest souls, afflicted with insensibility to the fifth part of God's goodness. In connexion with this subject, we may mention a circumstance that came under our notice this very morning of the performance of the Messiah, suggesting some thoughts not unprofitable or un- pleasing. Seated near the door, surrounded by the fashionably. dressed people who composed the bulk of the audience, we ob- served a poor old man babited in such a garb as might belong to the clerk or precentor of some village church ; but plain as was his dress, it was evidently his best, and some rude attentions had not been wanting to the general setting forth—the fustian breeches were free from soil, the cotton hose were newly washed, the old coat had been coaxed into its most decorous aspects, the neckcloth bad its symmetries. The old man was blind ; and as he sat waiting for the first sounds of the orchestra, he rolled about his sightless eyes hither and thither in the direction of the cheerful voices that surrounded him : be knew that a brilliant scene was before him, that on every side wealth, fashion, and beauty were spreading their attractions—that even then every other heart was partaking of an enjoyment which his alone could never share. But he had come to hear the Messiah, and his consolation was near at hand. Probably he had trudged many a mile that morning to telleetual treats. " We do not believe he belonged to Norwich ; we " I know that say Redeemer liVetler "Come Unto me," &c. that Saw' nothing Of him before this morning, nor afterwards, and he had we have only to record her undiminished claim to this praise, all the appearance of one who had come from a distance. What atiss BIRCH, though she cannot throw out her voice without giving sacrifices he may have made to enable him to enjoy this rare plea- pleasure, might greatly increase it by casting away those gratuitous . sure—in all probability the last of the kind he would live to know ornaments with which she is too apt to trivialize her performance —we will not surmise ; but we think we are justified in ranking of HisznEs's music. She has lost some pretty compliments Ive him with that peculiar class of natural musical enthusiasts of whom would have paid her on her sharing of " Rejoice greatly," by vexing this country contains a great many more than is usually supposed us at the end with additions hifilfiss Birch. Miss IIAwns is known in the humble ranks of life—village musicians, knowing music as a properly educated Handelian, and gives proof of the fact by chiefly as the associate of' religion, and chiefly cherishing it in that joining in boldly with the chorus-singers at any point of the om. relation, and whom, as well by the force of a traditional reverence torio without the aid of a book ; a feat which 111r. Pansies alio "as by the actual power of its grandeur and simplicity, broad intel- performs. Her best effort was " He was despised." ligible features, and artless pathos, penetrating the least cultivated We have now gone as far into particulars in our report of this rainds,.the Messiah is, perhaps, above all works calculated to im- Festival as we can afford to do; and we have only to congratulate press. There he sat, resting his hoary head on his staff, eager to the Committee and the able Conductor on the perfect success of catch the first notes of that sublime music, while a gay and fashion- their undertaking, and to express our approbation of the arrange. able audience, " smiling superior," rustled round about him. It meats which have conduced to this fortunate end. Mr. Eewasn was like a touch of nature in the midst of the sophisticate. But a Tsysoit, who is a Norwich man and is justly proud of the musical more violent contrast was reserved for our notice. During the resources of his native town, has apparently been labouring, not performance of. one of the many pathetic passages in the oratorio this year only, but from the first establishment of Festivals them, . —we believe it was when Miss Hawes was singing, with great to make the Norwich Festival the best and completest thing of the ,feeling, the air " He was despised"—our eyes, wandering in the kind in the country. We consider that he has already succeeded direction of the old man, rested on a face whose coarse, brutalized, in doing so. We, however, who are citizens of the world, profess. -villanous aspect, repelled us as with a sudden horror, and would ing our musical sympathies to be nothing less than universal, week probably have given us a still greater shock, in that tender state of desire to see all festivals flourishing and deserving to flourish in . our spirits, had we not immediately recognized it as one with the same degree. To do so, they must manifest the same judg. which we were familiar—not (believe us, gentle reader) in the way ment and the same spirit. The beautiful and commodious Hall of of friendship or mutual intercourse, but in a manner simply acei- St. Andrew's, at Norwich, which unites all the attributes of a sacred -dental. It was, in fact, the face of an old, ruffianly, London black- edifice to the freedom and independence of a public assembly-room, leg, of extensive West-end notoriety—whose acquaintance, as far is not matched for she same qualities in all England ; but the as face goes, is one of the entailed penances of a residence near general or particular arrangements which have been attended with :Regent Street, and so much success in the ease of the Festival here, may be adopted .. " Not to know whom argues yourself unknown." elsewhere no less effectually. In the construction of the orchestra, This man, or this face, (a sort of cross between Silenus and a Jew,) we were much pleased by the judgment as well as ingenuity shown 'to the confusion of hommopathy and the laws that, according.to in the centralization of the principal . CICERO, bind like to like, had got itself into neighbourhood with " Powers, dominations, kingdoms, thrones;" the mild countenance of our venerable villager—now lighted up for an orchestra is a collection of petty states, not one undivided (if that can be said of a poor blind face) with all the earnestness realm, and it is highly important to the ends of simultaneous (w- and sympathy awakened by the progress of the sacred story and tion that the " sceptered chiefs " should have instant means of its pealing harmonies. Our first wonder was, what could have communication. Formerly there was too much telegraph work in .brought this gross knave into that particular place ; we hoped an orchestra ; now the authorities can lay their heads together and never to have seen the features again, but least of all at such a concert in all weathers for the common safety. By a very ingeni. moment. We reflected, however, that in the height of a festival, ous mechanical contrivance, the credit of which, we believe, is due music was not the only pleasure a town afforded; that many are to the Reverend Mr. Elam; of Norwich, the keys of the organ hardly satisfied on such occasions if there be no gaining-table at are made—like the Irish gun—to shoot round a corner ; they ex. which they may empty their pockets after the excitement. To actly reverse the usual position, and the organist actually turns his satisfy these expectations, the above face had come down from back on his instrument. But he therefore faces the audience, and London ; and, we suppose, finding the streets empty during the the conductor stands immediately before him. The advantage of morning celebration—no one abroad whom it might devour—it had such an arrangement was felt during the Festival, when a rnisunler. poked itself into this ball for want of better employment, and was standing arising was instantly set to rights by a short conference now actually condemned—most likely for the first time—to listen between Mr. TISRLE and Mr. TAYLOR. to the touching strains of a sacred oratorio! We watched that Another great improvement connected with the organ, was the face with intense curiosity. The affecting airs and recitatives, addition since the last Festival of an octave and a half of excellent " He was despised," " Thy rebuke bath broken Ids heart," " Be- pedal-pipes. And this reminds us to ask a question—why- at hold and see if any sorrow be like unto his sorrow," and the mighty musical festivals, when the means, the opportunity, and all circuna heaven-scaling choruses, " He trusted in God," "Worthy- is the stances are so favourable for such performances, is no attempt Lamb," &c.—these, we thought, if any thing in the shape of human made to introduce to the ears of an English audience those stu- invention could cure a blackleg, would surely at length melt this pendous works of genius, the pedal fugues of SEBASTIAN BACH? fat rogue. Alas! we looked, and kept looking, on the face, till we We learn that HANDEL was accustomed to regale his audience be- lted every pimple by heart—but for any passing emotion of one tween the parts of his oratorios with organ concertos, fugues, &c. kind or another looked we in vain. We were not destined to come chiefly extemporaneous ; but great as HANDEL was on the organ, in for the quaint and moving sight that, under the influence of even he was but a child compared with the gigantic, unapproached, music, we had almost set our romantic hearts on beholding— unapproachable SEBASTIAN. The chief difficulty in the way of The face was imperturbable—no! one change, and one only, came audiences usually meet, there no church organs present themselves; over it in all the oratorio : the tongue that, satyr-like, lolled in the where the church organs present themselves, the fit audiences do door-way of the half-opened libidinous mouth, was for a moment not. Musical festivals offer the most natural and convenient OCCP removed—on the whispered indecency of some companion—to be sions ffir such performances and we hope to see the thne when the thrust into the cheek. Such was this altogether curious and interest- pedal fugues and preludes Of SEBASTIAN Biten will regularly stand lug juxtaposition of two characters equally alien from the mass of part of their schemes ; that the greatest works of the greatest

the audience, and chiefly from one another. musician that ever breathed may not continue to be, as far an Upon the performance of the Messiah, we need not offer any England is concerned, so much waste paper.

will yet do so, we are far from questioning ; and in the mean time _

living singer sis music, we had almost set our romantic hearts on beholding— unapproachable SEBASTIAN. The chief difficulty in the way of "Tears such as tender blacklegs weep." their production is the want of' proper opportunities. Where The face was imperturbable—no! one change, and one only, came audiences usually meet, there no church organs present themselves; over it in all the oratorio : the tongue that, satyr-like, lolled in the where the church organs present themselves, the fit audiences do door-way of the half-opened libidinous mouth, was for a moment not. Musical festivals offer the most natural and convenient OCCP removed—on the whispered indecency of some companion—to be sions ffir such performances and we hope to see the thne when the thrust into the cheek. Such was this altogether curious and interest- pedal fugues and preludes Of SEBASTIAN Biten will regularly stand lug juxtaposition of two characters equally alien from the mass of part of their schemes ; that the greatest works of the greatest

the audience, and chiefly from one another. musician that ever breathed may not continue to be, as far an Upon the performance of the Messiah, we need not offer any England is concerned, so much waste paper.

speciakeritiemm. The manner in which the able vocalists engaged With respect to the financial AMIN of the Norwich Festival, a at this Festival acquit themselves in it, is already well known to statement has been published, from which it appears that the net the public, and we are not aware that they ever acquitted themselves proceeds' applicable to the objects of the charity, will exceed better. Mr. Fulmars always appears to us the hero of this ora- 40001. The result of the previous Festival was such as to render torio. This gentleman's voice, style, presence—every thing con- it, we believe, not even sure that these meetings would be conti- spires to place him in the first rank of oratorio singers ; and his nued ; but on the former occasion there existed some disagree long and intimate acquaintance with the Messiah further serves to ments and dissatisfactions, which were happily removed this year, render his performance in that work masterly and perfhet. Mr. by a proceeding which has given universal satisfitetion—we mean BAIZE, who delights us on the stage by the ease and lightness of the appointment of Professor Tsreort to the post of Conductor. his manner, and a style of singing there admirably appropriate, As now controlled and animated, we foresee nothing but prosperity fails to realize the same relative excellence in oratorio. That he for the Norwich Festival.