EXETER IIALL.
Israel in Eggnt was performed at this temple of choral harmony last night, with tile additional songs first introduced into it at the Norwich Festival. T r..'se are selected from IIANDEL's various forgotten Operas, which contAin tit f his finest airs, and adapted by Professor TA, Loa to words seleeted from the Old Testament, and connected with the subject of the Oratothm. The obstacle to the performance of this ma- jestic work is tints removed; and the principal singers, bcfbre excluded from the orchestra, now find fit employment for their respective voices.
There is an innovation, originating at Exeter Hall we presume, cer- tainly not at Norwich, against which we strongly protest. The Oratorio opens with the lamentations of' the Israelites under their Egyptian bondage. The men or Exeter Hall have thought tit to prelude this by the Overture to the Occasional Oratorio, it composition which IlaxnEL Wrote to celebrate the defeat of the Scottish Rebels in 1745; and the Overture, which is of an animated and martial character, ends with a triumphal march, typical of the exploits of "the Butcher of ('ulloden." And to fill up the measure of incongruity and unsuitableness, the Over- ture is in 1) major, and the Chorus which follows it is in C minor ! This is another proof of the want of artist-like feeling which protrudes whenever the managers of this society step beyond the simple line of performing, what others have set down for them. They seldom meddle 'without doing mischief.
Previous page
