VOCAL CONCERTS.

THROUGHOUT the third season of the Vocal Concerts, which finished on Monday itight,• the Directors have pursued a course of unrelaxing vigi- lance and sound musical taste. Unfettered by the laws which, whether wisely or otherwise, restrict the exertions of other societies—binding one to the exclusive performance of ancient music—banishing from an- other all unaccompanied vocal music, and almost confining the vocal part of its concerts to a succession of hacknied Italian songs—proscrib- ing in the third all compositions, vocal or instrumental, not written by its members—the Vocal Society alone is free to range over the whole musical circle, and to concentrate in its orchestra their choicest produc- tions. And this they have done. From PALESTRINA and GIBBONS to HUMMEL and BOYCE, from LUCA MARENZIO and WI [AYE to ATTWOOD and HORSLEY, from PURCELL to Bishop, the gems of sacred composi- tion, of vocal harmony, and of the opera, have passed in succession be- fore their auditors. And thus, by unfolding all the riches of the vocal art, they have done more towards the extinction of prejudice, and the raising of a correct standard of musical taste, than any other society in the Metropolis. Much, if not most of the music heard at these con- certs, can be heard nowhere else ; and it is this circumstance which gives them so strong a claim to the support of all who feel disposed to sustain the character and maintain the Just pretensions of music, con.

• The 30th March. This notiec was in type lad week, but omitted in coast:queues dibe press of important political matter. 11. Gloria, from the First Mass ..... . ........ HAYDN. 12. Scent, Madame STOCKHAUSEN, " Si, lo sento" 13. Glee, " Go idle boy " CALLCOTT..

1;, 14. Duette. Miss WOODYATT and Miss POSTA NS, " colli " 1 15. Madrigal, " Stay Corydon" 16. Sestetto, " Dove son" (semi fin fee) MOZART. 17. Glee and Chorus, " Hand in hand" Dr. IR. Song, Mr. PatI.LIPS, " You twine ten hundred" 1'CK,E1.1.. 19. Finale (Die Zauberfli;te) Slots IT.

With that singular perversity of taste which marked the selections at the Abbey Festival, King 1Vu.I.IAal was saluted with the most vulgar of HANDEL'S Coronation Anthems, to the exclusion of this, his best. Rarely, indeed, are we presented with this beautiful com- position even by the pretended admirers of his works ; and we were rejoiced once more to be gratified with an excellent performance of it. Among the other sacred music, No. 9 and 11 deserve especial notice: the first, as a specimen of that bold and majestic style which charac- terized the Prussian and Saxon writers in the early part of the eighteenth century; and the second, as an illustration of the success with which HAYDN could add his instrumental colouring even to the

severe simplicity of fugal counterpoint.

Bisitoe's beautiful Glee, No. 6, was sting by Mrs. BISROP, HAW- KINS, HouNeasTLE, and E. TAYLOR, with felicitous accordance of voice and feeling. Lord AIORNINGTON'S, also, well deserved its

encore. The Madrigals were well chosen, and finely sung. No. 4 was a novelty, and it possesses some new and striking points ; but Wllarve asserted his claim to preeminence in his " Stay Corydon." Like all the other Madrigals of the season, they were encored. No. 8 was said to he sting " by desire ;" and the beauties of this fine old

Canon were perfectly developed by the concurrent and well. regulated voices of the choir. Can any of our musical readers furnish us with good authority for ascribing this coinposition to BYRDE ? Of his ability to write it there can be no doubt, for to the author of " Diliges Do- ininum Deum," the composition of " Non nobis " would have been but a slight effort ; but we should like to have better evidence than has

chanced to fall in our way of his claim to its authorship.

sidered either as a science or an art. Music which is never performed, may be said, as far ay the public are concerned, to have 'lo existence : it is only called into life by the combined exertions of individuals who have the ability to realize the conceptions of the greatest minds. A picture may be gazed at, or a poem may be read by all ; but what is a sinfonia of BEETHOVEN, a madrigal of W1LBYE, a song of MOZART, or a chorus of HANDEL, without the voices or instruments to give it life and being?

These concerts were established with the avowed design of regaining for the English school of vocal harmony its proper rank and position ; not by making it their sole attraction, and capriciously or timidly shrinking from a collision with foreign excellence, but by subjecting its merits to this severe test. And it has come forth from the conflict not only unhurt, but triumphant. Here the foreign artist has learned of the existence of English writers to whose names and works he was a stranger ; here be has found that they deserve association on terms of perfect equality with the Italians and Flemings of the close of the sixteenth century, that golden age of vocal harmony. The Philhar- monic Concerts have raised the character of our instrumental per- formers, and placed them on a level with the finest Continental or- chestras ; but it was reserved for the Vocal Society to display the power and restore the rank of the English composers. To one class of vocal composition these concerts have given new life and an extended term of existence. They have rescued our Ma- drigals from oblivion, and, by presenting their varied beauties before the public in a style of unequalled excellence, have not only unfolded a new source of musical enjoyment, but established the superiority of our countrymen in this delightful species of vocal harmony : for even MA- RENZIO and Owes:, eminent as they were, must yield the palm of ex- cellence to our WILRYE and BENNETT. The result is, that composi- tions which were previously known only to the members of a single so- ciety, are now finding their way into iestivals, concerts, and theatres, and circulating in various editions and forms among the musical po- pulation of the kingdom.

The following was the scheme of the concluding concert of the season.

1. Coronation Anthem, " My heart is inditing." . 2. Glee, " 0 bird of eve" .................. 3. Song. Mrs. It ( MS.) " To thee, 0 Lord"

4. Madrigal. " Stay limpid stream " 5. Quartette. " Ave Teruel" 6. Glee, •• When wearied wretches "- .

7. Song, Mr. PARRY junior, " The Adieu " S. Canon, " Non !loins Domine"....... ......... .•... 9. Chorus, "Joins shall reign (Toil Jesu).. .....

10. Otttto, Clarinetti, Oboi, Fagotti e Coral— ..

HANDEL

Lord MORNINGTON.

Ittsinoe.

L. M A RENZIO.

MOZART.

BISHOC.

A IT W 00 ”.

Gnat's. Moz.lwr.

Of the songs, No. 12 was incomparably the finest. It stands among the first efforts of its kind ; and nothing could be more perfect than

Madame STOCKHAUSEN'S execution of it. We never heard from her such a display of energy. Graceful, elegant, fascinating, her singing invariably is ; but we never listened to such an exhibition of its power. Mr. Bistior's song is a masterly and elaborate composition ; too dia.. borate, indeed, for devotional expression. The attention of the auditor should not be divided, in music of this class, between the singer and the accompanist, nor allowed to wander from a sacred theme even to the

unrivalled tone and extraordinary execution of NICHOLSON. It is to the heart, more than to the senses, that sacred music should appeal: heuce,

we should have listened with greater pleasure bad the graces of the composition been connected with words more befitting their character. We were happy to bear another of PURCELL'S songs ; for though far inferior in variety of expression and depth of feeling to " Let the dread- ful engines," No. 18 is still an effort worthy its great author's powers.

Pirtwes's performance of it was as satisfactory as any that we have heard of late years. The attendance on these concerts has regularly increased throughout the season, and the room on Monday night was crowded. We suggest to the members of the Society the expediency of beginning their season

later in the year ; and starting about the same time as the Ancient Concerts, on the alternate Wednesdays, They need not for thg comparison.