Handel died on the 13th of April 1759, and already
there is talk, in different countries, of centenary commemorations of his death. Our Sacred Harmonic Society, taking time by the forelock, in order to occupy the field in this country, which nobody can possibly dispute with them, have announced a magnificent scheme of a commemoration per- formance, to be preceded by a preliminary and in some measure experi- mental " Handel Musical Festival at the Crystal Palace," to take place in the early part of next summer, and for which arrangements have al- ready been made with the Crystal Palace Company. The performances are to be held in the great central transept of the building, the only available area of sufficient magnitude. There are to be two thousand chorus-singers, equally divided into the four choral parts; and the in- strumental band is to number about three hundred. The details of this project are fully given in a letter, addressed by Mr. Bewley, in the name of the Society's Committee, to the general body of the members and sub- scribers. Costa is to be intrusted with the musical direction. There may be some doubts as to the practicability of "keeping in hand" a multitude so immense and necessarily covering so wide a surface, so as to obtain simultaneous movement and clear effects. With Handel's grand, broad, simple harmonies, we hope it will be found that this may be done. The experiment, at ;11 events, will be a very interesting one.
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