us; and that these Hosannahs and Hallelujahs may combine with the Prayers and Alms of the approaching Anniversary Week, in calling down a fresh blessing on our beloved city and upon us who dwell in it;-so that when at last that hour shall come, which can neither be hastened nor postponed by the idle calculations of learned astrologers, or the idle conjurations of diviners and sorcerers, when the trumpet of the Archangel shall be heard sounding through the sky and summoning us, in God's own time, from our destined sleep of death, our hearts and voices may not be wholly unattuned for uniting with Cherubim and Seraphim and all the Company of Heaven in that sublime Trisagion,-" Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts; heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory!"

It only remains for me, Ladies and Gentlemen, in behalf of this oldest existing Musical Society of Boston,-older, if I mistake not, than almost any of its kind in London, since the Institution of the Ancient Concerts has passed away with the Iron Duke, one of their principal Directors, -to pronounce the single word of welcome' to you all. But while offering you this welcome in their name, as I now most respectfully and cordially do, I feel that my duty to-day would be but half performed, if I did not, also, in your name, and as the self-commissioned organ of the vast concourse of my fellow-citizens, by whom this noble Hall will day by day be thronged,-if I did not, in your name and in theirs, assure the members of this old pioneer Association, of the sincere and grateful appreciation, which is entertained by our whole community, of their unwearied and honorable efforts in the cause of musical improvement, and of their signal success in giving a worthier and more impressive utterance to the praise of God in the great congregation.' And may the favor of Heaven and the patronage of a generous public never be wanting to their future career.

Dwight's Journal of Music.

Boston, Thursday Noon, May 21, 1857.

THE THREE DAYS' MUSICAL FESTIVAL-the first ever celebrated in America-commenced at 10 o'clock this morning, and is now in progress. The Orator has spoken, and the inspiring harmonies of the Creation' are yet resounding in the Music Hall amid delighted crowds of listeners. We are there listening, and we pity any of our readers whom we do not see there also. And that we may be there, as well as that our paper may be of some aid to those who shall attend the Festival, we issue the present number two days in advance of its usual date, by which means we are enabled to present the admirable Address of Mr. WINTHROP, entire, from his own notes, containing all the parts omitted in the delivery for want of time, besides various other matters that have interest in connection with the Festival.

The length of these documents necessarily excludes most of our usual summary of musical news, concert criticisms, &c., and makes this purely a FESTIVAL PAPER.

Our next number will contain a FULL REPORT of the three days' performances, and will be of equal interest with the present, so that we shall again issue a large edition, for the Anniversary week.

We would modestly suggest the present week of Musical Jubilee as a good time for those who have been without a Musical paper to subscribe for Dwight's Journal of Music. We think we can safely promise those who do so their full money's worth.

ADVERTISERS also should not omit the rare opportunity here offered of bringing their musical commodities before the notice of crowds of musical people.

THE FESTIVAL.-We write the day before the opening, (it being essential to our purposes above stated to go to press on Wednesday,) and therefore dare not say with what auspicious light the heavens will smile upon the long expected feast of harmony. Now the

weather is most ominous; a fierce storm rages, and the evil spirit of the East Wind hangs around us now for many days, darkening sweet Nature's opening festival of buds and flowers, as Weber's Zamiel clouds and chills the sunshine and the music in his weird German opera. We hope the clouds will break away; but if they do not, it will be but the usual lot of the beginnings of great things, that grow up into permanent importance in this world; and such importance surely we may ascribe to the commencement of great Musical Festivals, destined in spite of storms and obstacles to become a custom and an institution in the land, kindling the love of lofty music, suspending for sweet periods the hot haste and strife of all-consuming business competition, and aiding noble charities, as in our mother country, England.

The arrangements have all been happily perfected, on an ample and (to us) unprecedented scale. The Directors of the Handel and Haydn Society have planned and labored to an extent that few can appreciate, to bring this thing about; choir and orchestra and solo artists have entered into it with hearty zeal; rehearsals have been continual and thorough; the worthy conductor, Mr. CARL ZERRAHN, has displayed throughout a cool-headed and indefatigable energy, enough to conquer a new country; and the result will be, if this first Festival succeeds as it now promises, the conquering indeed of a new field henceforth for Art and Harmony out of the wide waste of our utilitarian, scrambling life.

The arrangements of the Festival are now all set forth in the advertisements, with the exception of the Of programmes of the three miscellaneous concerts. these the features will be two grand Symphonies by Beethoven, the No. 7, in A, and the No. 5, in C minor, also the charming Allegretto from the No. 8; Beethoven's overture to Leonora-the third and grandest of the four he wrote for his only opera,—and to Shakspeare's Coriolanus, which the Germans class with his Egmont under the head of character overtures, that is, works which convey in music the idea of a character, a historical person,-and in this intense and fiery music the life of the proud Roman storms itself away most characteristically, not unrelieved by little episodic themes of tenderest and sweetest melody. To these add Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave" overture, a marvellous piece of cool, wild sea-shore picture music,-and the Scherzo, (much in the same vein), of his so-called "Scotch" Symphony; Wagner's exciting overture to Tannhäuser, Rossini's brilliant and ever popular one to "William Tell;" Webers's Concert-piece for piano and orchestra, to be played by WILLIAM MASON, &c., &c. The rest will be vocal selections, in which the principal solo singers will take part. The programme for Saturday morning, particularly, is one of rare excellence, including the 7th Symphony, the Mendelssohn Scherzo, the overtures to " 'Fingal's Cave" and "Leonora," and an aria from Mozart's Clemenza di Tito, to be sung by Miss ADELAIDE PHILLIPPs.

As for the oratorios, we heard the full rehearsal of "Elijah" Sunday evening, and the effect of orchestra and chorus was in truth magnificent. The solo parts will be for the most part capitally done. Mr. SIMPSON, from New York, has a delightful tenor, if not all the fine shading of our own Mr. ADAMS, who shares the tenor solos with him. Dr. GUILMETTE has a noble bass, and sings the part of Elijah in a more musicianlike and telling manner than we have heard before. Mrs. ELIOT, Mrs. LONG, Mrs. MOZART, Mrs. HILL, Miss PHILLIPPS and Miss TwICHELL, in this and the other oratorios, will do good justice to their several parts. A beautiful and novel feature in "Elijah" will be the singing of the Angel Trio by three boys. On Saturday night the grand and ever fresh "Messiah" will probably assemble an immense crowd for a solemn and fit finale.

The orchestra will be superb. We counted at the rehearsal 78 instruments. There are 8 double basses, 10 violoncellos, 9 violas, giving an uncommon richness to the bass and to the middle parts of the stringed quartet; 12 first violins, 12 second do, 4 clarinets, 4 oböes, 4 horns, &c., &c. Among the first violins we noticed some of the best players from New York, as Mollinhauer, Besig, Noll, and others. With these

names to lend due effect to the great oratorios, symphonies and overtures, many will feel their power and beauty, who may have been dull listeners before, complaining that they were "too scientific" and all that! The scene itself, too, in that noble Hall, with the brilliant and eager audience, the vast choir of 600 singers grouped amphitheatrically upon the stage, the wings extending into the galleries on either side, the orchestra in the middle, rising back to the organ, and poor CRAWFORD'S god-like statue of BEETHOVEN looking down serenely upon all, will not be the least element of interest in the occasion.

Musical Festivals-Their Rise in England.

Musical Festivals, upon a grand scale, with Oratorio, may properly be said to have begun with the Handel Commemoration in Westminster Abbey, in 1784. Dr. BURNEY, who chronicles the events of those five days (May 26th, 27th, 29th, and June 3d and 5th) in a sumptuous quarto volume, with all his glowing enthusiasm, and his elegant and scholarly garrulity, (the book is now rare,) took great pains to ascertain if there were any record of an earlier musical feast in any country, in which as many as 500 performers were united, and could discover none. A few instances are named of gatherings of two or three hundred singers and musicians on some royal or national occasions in Paris, Rome, or Venice, but the elements of a grand organic musical festival scarcely existed before Handel. There was no orchestra, upon which all must centre; and even Handel's orchestra, and such as they had at this centennial of his birth, was but a rude and imperfect agglomeration compared with the grand orchestra of our day. Several of the periodical Festivals, now celebrated on so vast a scale in England, had their small beginnings earlier than the Handel Commemoration. The Annual Meeting of the three Choirs of Worcester, Hereford and Gloucester, commenced in 1724; the Birmingham Triennial Festival (now the most famous), in 1778. But the Commemoration of Handel brought together 525 musicians-a moderate number for our day, (smaller perhaps than we shall see and hear this week at the first Festival in Boston) -but then a musical event eclipsing all before.

66

Nothing but the influence of Handel's music, and the general love and reverence especially for his Messiah," made such an occasion possible. "Handel's Church music had been kept alive, and had supported life in thousands, by its performance for charitable purposes." The hospitals and infirmaries throughout the kingdom were "indebted to the art of music, and to Handel's works in particular, for their support." His "Messiah" alone, as performed under his own direction in the last ten years of his life, (1749-59,) yielded about £7,000 to the Foundling Hospital, which was increased by subsequent performances until the year 1777 to over £10,000. This very Westminster Abbey Festival gave £1,000 to the Westminster Hospital, and £6,000 to the Society for Decayed Musicians, to which Håndel had already bequeathed £1,000 at his death. Thus, besides its direct influence on the hearts and minds of men, the music of Handel has been one of the world's great charities; for charity is still the end of all the great festivals, at Birmingham and elsewhere, into which his music breathed the breath of life.

From Burney's book we glean some curious particulars about the Commemoration in Westminster Abbey. The proportions of choir and orchestra were singular; there were 250 instruments to 275 singers. The orchestra itself was strangely composed; he gives a list of 26 players of the hautboy, and of 26 bassoons and one double bassoon! These instruments were much cultivated in Handel's time. There were no clarinets. The other elements were: 48 first violins, 47 second violins, 26 tenors, 21 violoncellos, 15 double basses, 6 flutes, 12 trumpets, 6 "trombones or sacbuts," 12 horns, 3 kettle-drums, 1 double kettledrum.

The Choir consisted of 60 Trebles, most of whom were boys, (thus the list includes "three Master Ashleys," "ten Chapel boys," "Master Latter," "Master Loader," "Mrs. Love," "ten St. Paul's boys," "Master Piper," &c., &c.); 48 Counter Ten

ors, (men), instead of our contralti; 83 Tenors; 84 Basses. The famous German prima donna, Madame MARA, sang the great soprano airs in the "Messiah." The conductor was JOAH BATES, Esq., who played the organ, seated at a key-board nineteen feet in front of the organ itself, in the middle, and in full view of the performers; he was aided by two violin "leaders," but there was no beating of time; the whole "moved like clock-work," without such aid. The scene must have been magnificent; Dr. Burney says:

All the preparations for receiving their Majesties, and the first personages in the kingdom, at the east end; upwards of five hundred musicians at the west; and the public in general, to the number of between three and four thousand persons, in the area and galleries, so wonderfully corresponded with the style of architecture of this venerable and beautiful structure, that there was nothing visible, either for use or ornament, which did not harmonize with the principal tone of the building, and which may not, metaphorically, have been said to be in perfect tune with it. But, besides the wonderful manner in which this construction exhibited the band to the spectators, the Orchestra was so judiciously contrived, that almost every performer, both vocal and instrumental, was in full view of the conductor and leader; which accounts in some measure, for the uncommon ease with which the performers confess they executed their parts.

The whole preparations for these grand performances were comprised within the western part of the building, or broad aisle; and some excellent judges declared, that, apart from their beauty, they never had seen so wonderful a piece of carpentry, as the orchestra and galleries, after Mr. Wyatt's models.

At the east end of the aisle, just before the back of the choir-organ, some of the pipes of which were visible below, a throne was erected in a beautiful Gothic style, corresponding with that of the Abbey, and a center box, richly decorated and furnished with crimson satin, fringed with gold, for the reception of their Majesties and the Royal Family; on the right hand of which was a box for the Bishops, and, on the left, one for the Dean and Chapter of Westminster; immediately below these two boxes were two others, one, on the right, for the families and friends of the Directors, and the other for those of the prebendaries of Westminster. Immediately below the King's-box was placed one for the Directors themselves; who were all distinguished by white wands tipped with gold, and gold medals, struck on the occasion, appending from white ribbands. These their Majesties likewise condescended to wear, at each performance. Behind, and on each side of the throne, there were seats for their Majesty's suite, maids of honor, grooms of the bedchamber, pages, &c.

The Orchestra was built at the opposite extremity, ascending regularly from the height of seven feet from the floor, to upwards of forty, from the base of the pillars; and extending from the centre to the top of the side aisle.

The intermediate space below was filled up with level benches, and appropriated to the early subscribers. The side aisles were formed into long galleries, ranging with the orchestra, and ascending, so as to contain twelve rows on each side: the fronts of which projected before the pillars, and were ornamented with festoons of crimson morine.

At the top of the orchestra was placed the occasional organ, in a Gothic frame, mounting to, and mingling with, the saints and martyrs represented in the painted glass on the west window. On each side of the organ, close to the window, were placed the kettle-drums. The choral bands were principally placed in view of Mr. Bates, on steps, seemingly ascending into the clouds, in each of the side aisles, as their termination was invisible to the audience. The principal singers were ranged in the front of the orchestra, as at oratorios, accompanied by the choirs of St. Paul, the Abbey, Winsor, and the Chapel Royal.

The accounts of the perfect unity, precision and splendid effect of the performances in Westminster Abbey, are somewhat hard for us to reconcile with such arrangement of the forces. The music performed was all by Handel, and consisted, besides the "Messiah" twice, of the Dettingen "Te Deum," and miscellaneous selections from his vocal and instrumental works, arias from his operas, hautboy concertos, organ fugues, overtures to other oratorios, &c. This so set the example of miscellaneous programmes, that we find that, in all the English festivals from that time until the Sacred Harmonic Society was established in 1832, there is scarcely an instance of a complete oratorio of Handel being given, with the exception of the "Messiah."

The influence of such festivals in England may be judged by the following table of all that have been held to this date, with estimates of the aggregate attendance upon each. We find it in a pamphlet lately issued with regard to the coming Handel festival: 6 Westminster Abbey.....1784 to 1791...... 60,000 1 ditto.... ..1834

......

20,000

2 Manchester..........

2 Bradford......

...1724-1856..say 370,000

132 Three Choirs of Gloucester, Hereford, &c., This makes a total of 1,000,000 persons as the entire numbers present upon all these occasions. The Sacred Harmonic Society, in 1832, originated a regular series of performances of Handel's Oratorios in London, on a scale equal to that of the Festivals of former years. Between June 1836 and June 1856 this Society has given 344 performances in Exeter Hall, which, it is estimated, have been attended in the aggregate by 650,000 persons. One half of these 344 performances have consisted of entire Oratorios of Handel, embracing the "Messiah," "Israel in Egypt," "Solo"Judas Maccabæus," "Samson,' mon," " Joshua," "Saul," "Jephtha," Deborah," "Athaliah" and "Belshazzar.' Very justly there

in the great Handel Festival to take place next month.

Thus England has been the cradle and the chief seat of these monster musical Festivals, and Handel's music has been as the breath of life to them.

Next to Handel's oratorios, there have figured at the festivals such works of course as Haydn's "Creation," Mozart's "Requiem," Spohr's "Last Judgment," Beethoven's "Mount of Olives," and only very recently the "Passion" of Bach, Handel's great contemporary, who never went abroad from his own Germany. Then came the day of Mendelssohn; a great day was that for England's music when the composer himself conducted the first performance of "Elijah" at the Birmingham Festival, on the 26th of August, 1846. The influence of his music upon English writers soon became as visible as Handel's had been, and a large crop of English oratorios soon sprang up, plainly inspired at second hand by Mendelssohn. The most successful of these imitations, several of which have had their turn at festivals, was Mr. Costa's "Eli," the filial relationship of which to the "Elijah," those who heard it performed here last winter by the Handel and Haydn Society, and who shall be so fortunate as to listen to the grand performance of "Elijah" in our Music Hall to-morrow, can hardly fail to recognize.

We begun with the first Handel Festival. We conclude with simply alluding to the preparations for the second, which is to take place next month in the Crystal Palace at Sydenham. Festivals have grown somewhat since 1784. This will be on a far grander scale than any heretofore, and is but preliminary to a still grander one projected for the second centennary of Handel's birth, in 1859. Think of a chorus of 2,000 singers, 500 to each of the four vocal parts, with an orchestra of 390 instruments, and the most powerful organ that can be built! This mighty force, if not unmanageable, must lend an effect never before dreamed of to the great choruses of the "Messiah," "Judas Maccabæus," and above all the "Israel in Egypt.

"

we must take another opportunity to speak.

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The Great Musical Festival.

The three days are over-the memorable, glorious three days! Glorious, in spite of rain and storm, thin audiences to start with, lack of dazzling attraction of great names as solo artists, and pecuniary loss to those who guarantied the enterprise!

We said, before the concerts, that we pitied any of our musical friends who should be willing or obliged to lose them; we must now put it more strongly, and say: We envy not their feelings when they learn that they have missed undoubtedly the grandest, the most important and most genuine musical or artistic occasion that has yet occurred upon this continent. But leaving general reflections for the present, we proceed to chronicle each day's proceedings.

FIRST DAY: THURSDAY, MAY 21. Rain, rain, rain! For three days before the opening it has rained continually, and for nearly ten days we have all been under the chilling, gloomy influences of an ugly, pertinacious Easterly storm, that has hung around us latent or developed, now searching with treacherous, icy fingers to the marrow of our sensibilities, to the sore trial of all faith and weakening of all will, now bursting out in drenching floods and tempest, as in the last three days, and adding outward to the inward disability:-fit type, our East Wind, of the old Puritan spirit, foe of all things genial! The worst thing about one of these long New England storms, is its discouraging influence upon people's minds; under its spell we give up and become indifferent to cherished plans and purposes; we lose all enthusiasm, and take no pains and spend no money to avail ourselves of even the rarest and grandest invitations. Of

course it was a serious damper on the sale of season tickets. The price, to be sure, $5,00, though moderate and necessary for an entertainment so excellent and so costly, must have been one ground of hesitation to many whose means are not commensurate with their love of music; and then in very many faith was wanting; music for two years past had been comparatively under a cloud with us; there were few that believed in the possibility of great things; from giving ourselves too great credit we had sunk to giving ourselves too little, and mens' minds had not got wrought up to a due sense of what now was coming. Could the feast but have begun where it left off, we should have seen a very different state of appetite.-We speak of the public. Not so with the givers of the feast, its managers, and all who took a part in it. Neither: managers, conductor, singers or orchestra ever faltered in their preparations; everything was carried out to the letter on the scale first contemplated; the conductor and the business managers were instant in season and out of season; the rehearsals went on, thrice a week for oratorio, and twice a week for orchestra, and the choir, surprised and charmed at the effect of its own numbers in rehearsal, grew continually both in numbers and in spirit. All was sure to be right, at least alive, at the stage end of the Hall, however it might be in the auditorium.

Ten o'clock, the hour of opening, came. It still rained in torrents, and continued so almost all day. Yet it was a milder and more genial rain, not out of harmony with the young buds and springing grass, and with the Oratorio of the "Creation." There were, as nearly as we could estimate, a thousand persons in the audience, leaving about 1500 seats vacant. Yet the Music Hall presented a superb spectacle, especially at the stage end. The chorus seats, well-filled, rising back in tiers to the organ screen, and sidewise into the first galleries; the orchestra filling the main space in the middle, with chorus crowding round it; the dais for principal singers, and part of the female choir built out in front; the statue of Beethoven overlooking all, was truly a sight to shame-not the audience who were there, but those who were not. In a few moments the government of the Handel and Haydn Society took their seats in the semi-circle in front of the stage, and the President, Mr. CHARLES FRANCIS CHICKERING, introduced the orator of the day, Hon. ROBERT C. WINTHROP, who was received with warm applause. His Address has been already given to our readers in full, and speaks for itself. It was exceedingly happy in conception, execution and delivery, and struck the true key-note of the occasion. All heard delighted,

VOL. XI. No. 9.

and were the better prepared to listen to the great music with an understanding spirit. The orator omitted perhaps one third of the entire printed Address. He also threw in some extempore allusions, which were very timely, especially one to the presence of the venerable JOSIAH QUINCY, which of course waked a warm and audible response.

After some delay, at a few minutes past eleven, the principal singers were conducted to their seats in front, amid loud applause, especially Boston's old favorite, Mrs. ANNA STONE ELIOT, (now of New York), whom the members of the choir seemed to take great delight in welcoming. Several rounds of plaudits, too, announced the advance of Mr. CARL ZERRAHN to his Conductor's post. In the chorus we had counted 400 singers during the Address; there were probably by this time at least 450 in the seats. Then began, from the orchestra of 78 instruments, the Introduction, representing Chaos, to Haydn's "Creation." It was a very graphic and impressive rendering.

Mr. S. W. LEACH, in the part of Raphael, delivered the recitative: In the beginning, &c., and then the soft chorus, flowing in with such unexampled breadth and richness of harmony: And the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters, at once took possession of every delighted listener, until the grand burst upon And there was LIGHT! which was absolutely thrilling and sublime. We never before have heard it given with a tithe of the same effect; it was a new sensation even to old oratorio-goers, while upon the less experienced it flashed a new conception of the meaning and the power of music. All common thoughts, the dull day and thin audience were forgotten, for the world was as it were miraculously full of light. We saw the tears start into some eyes-tears which mean joy and wonder, reverence and new life, as truly if not as often as they mean sympathy and sorrow.

It would seem as if this first flash quickened the entire performance that then followed. At all events the choruses, from first to last, partook of the same vitality and grandeur—at least so far as the composition in each case admitted, for Haydn's choruses do not grow upon you with the cumulative grandeur of the great Handelian mountain ranges. The grander parts, like the Heavens are telling, rang out with a glorious volume; the fragmentary, responsive parts, where phrases are tossed about from one mass of voices to another, in complicated fugue or canon, as in: Despairing, cursing rage attends their fall, were marked by an infallible precision and a boldly pronounced individuality; the smooth, clear, even passages of harmony, like: A new created world,