MONEY RESULTS OF THE ROYAL MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
WE have been expecting, for the last fortnight, an official an- nouncement of the result of this atlitir; but nothing of the sort has yet appeared. The only document bearing the stamp of au- thenticity, has been issued this week, in the shape of a paragraph, stating that at a special meeting of the Royal Society of Musicians, Mr. PARRY (the Secretary to the Noble Committee) had been commissioned to declare a surplus of 7600/. (including his Ma- jesty's donation of 500 guineas); which was to be equally divided between the Royal Society of Musicians, the New Musical Fund, the Choral Fund, and the Tenterden Street School. No account of receipts and payments has made its appearance: but having ascertained the surplus, and knowing, from authority on which we can rely, the receipts, we have no hesitation in saying, that so dark and suspicious an appearance was never presented by any similar account within our knowledge. Let us come to facts.
Now, then, let us see how this expenditure stands as compared eith that of some other Festivals, and what proportion it bears to the relative number of performers at each. At the fitrmer Commemoration in Westminster Abbey, when the number of performers was nearly the same the whole expenses were 5,7361.
At the last Norwich Festival (we quote from the published ac- count), the whole expenses, for a band of 375 performers, were 4428/.; including lighting for three evening concerts, ball-ex- penses, and various other charges to which this Royal affair was not subject. Therefore, without regard to other important dna rences in the rate of charge at which any country festival moves, as compared with a London one, the cost of the three we have Darned will show the following extraordinary discrepancy.
Commemoration of Handel 550 performers £5,736 Norwirh Festival. 1633 '175 4,428 Royal Festival, 1834 579 14,400 But thedifference is yet more extraordinary than it seems ; for in London the majority of the band reside; who, generally speaking, received only from one half to one quarter of the terms they are compelled to charge when the expenses of a journey and of a re- sidence from home are deducted from the amount of their respee- are engagements. Thus the class of performers who at Worces- ter, Birmingham, or Norwich, would receive from ten to thirteen guineas each, here received only four or six. The London Chorus, alto receive at the same places seven or eight guineas each, were paid here not more than four,—although they had, in all, to at- tend fifteen times. Hence it is evident, that forty London instru- mentalists, if carried into the country, will cost as much as one
hundred of the same class were paid here. And we see, at most of the great provincial meetings, the same individuals who occu- pied the principal situations at the Abbey : the Orchestras vary
The receipts (in round numbers) were p22,000 The profits are 7,600 Therefore the expenses must have been ... 14,400
IS size, bet F. CRAMER, MORI, LINDLEY, DRAGONETTI, and SO on, are at most if not at all of them.
It may be conjectured that some of this enormous difference may be accounted for in the cost of fitting up the Abbey. But the question, the pinching question recurs, was not the Abbey as large in 1784 ; and were not the King and Queen present, and the charge of erecting a royal box then incurred? In the printed accounts of the Norwich Festival, we find the charge of fitting 111) St. Andrew's Hall 4421.,—a building capable of seating 2200 Persons; while in the Abbey there were seats for 2700. Now appose we etouble, treble, quadruple, the Norwich charge, we
still approach a very small way towards the difference between 40001. and 14,0001.
We don't mean to apply any epithets to this affair : we have placed before the public certain figures and documents, from which they will judge for themselves. No further comment is needed on our part, though much explanation on that of the in- dividuals by whom the money has been spent. No big words or scornful looks will avail on this occasion. "Give an account of your stewardship: tell its how and where 14,000/. has been ex- pended for a band of 600 perfoimers in Westminster Abbey. You have sought this trust, you have as-iumed this office ; you volun- tarily took upon you this responsibility. The result is extraordi- nary, astounding. Account for it—or " We need not add another word.
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