PRIVATE PERFORMANCE OF WILBYE'S MADRIGALS - AT CROSBY HALL.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.
Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, 16th September 1841. Sir—I am sure you will be pleased to hear that your prediction as to the effect of the reappearance of JOHN WILBYE to his countrymen has been realized. The publication of his first set of Madrigals has not merely placed a rare and curious volume in the libraries of collectors, but opened a new source of amusement and delight to singers.
I had the pleasure to make one of a party of such ladies and gentlemen, professional and amateur, on Wednesday evening at Crosby Hall; where we were invited and cordially welcomed by the lady of the house, to whom the arts owe so much liberal and discriminating support. In this splendid building, consecrated by a thousand interesting associations, and which, chiefly through her liberality and good taste, has been rescued from destruction and restored to its former symmetry, the resuscitation of W1LBYE'S remains fitly took place ; every vocal guest bringing his copy of the new edition of his Madrigals. Sir Join; SPENCER, the ancestor of the Northampton family, kept his Mayoralty in Crosby Place, in 1594; where he afterwards entertained the celebrated SULLY. This was four years before WILBYE'S first set of Madrigals appeared ; and there can be little doubt that music formed a part of his splendid entertainments, ac- cording to the custom of the time; and that WILBYE, between whose humble dwelling and Crosby Place the princely mansion (afterwards the College) of Gresham only intervened, was an occasional guest. We could not help calling to mind those times ; and while enjoying his beautiful compositions, imagination repeopled the building in which we met with the great and the gay of former ages, sharing in the amusement which we enjoyed. This is a pleasure which, in an equal degree, no other art can impart. It belongs chiefly, and above every other, to music, and adds one to the many delights which it is capable of conferring. I will only add my thanks to my friend Mr. TURLE for his able supervision of the work which afforded us so much gratification, and for having purged his edition of many typographical errors, which deformed the original copies.
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