27 JANUARY 1844, Page 18

MUSIC.

NATIONAL MELODY AND ITS REPRESENTATIVES.

THE success of Mr. WILSON'S entertainments has introduced numerous competitors for distinction in the same department ; and the public have now the means of judging between him and Messrs. PHILLIPS, BORN- CASTLE, and TEMPLETON, how far interest in their subject-matter, excellence in their illustrations, and scope and variety in performing them, entitle either to the award of precedence. Of all the single- handed undertakings in musical lecture, Mr. WILsoN's is certainly the best. The Hebrew music brings into play four well-trained voices, from the solo to the quartet ; and Mr. HORNCASTLE, in his " Music of Ireland," employs two female voices in aid of his own, besides a harpist who plays solos, and whose instrument is occasionally sub- stituted for the pianoforte in accompanying. This method may some- what divert the applause from the hero of the night, but it increases effect; it relieves the lecturer, and preserves his singing-voice from the -injurious consequences of long-continued talking ; and it is felt by the hearer as a very grateful pause, in the midst of a two-hours' spell of speaking and singing from the same individual. For, after several evenings' experience of illustrations depending on a single voice, and that perhaps the finest of its kind, we have found the result monotonous : grave or gay, the tone is of necessity the same, the senti- ment or measure alone has been changed. An enlarged plan of illus- tration, within due and manageable limits, will soon become one of the necessities of the day in musical lectures.

In literary tact and ability, Mr. WILSON far surpasses his professional brethren and followers. Of this he gave ample proof in his new enter- tainment, entitled "Mary Queen of Scots," delivered at the Store Street Music-hall on Monday. A theme worn threadbare by the handling of poets, painters, and novelists, required considerable skill to reproduce it in the shape of an attractive narrative : yet such it was. Glancing rapidly over the well-known events of the life of the unfortunate Queen, Mr. WILSON drew from contemporary chronicles materials for a graphic sketch of her times, and grouped around his principal subject the characters which give colouring and effect to a picture. Thus we had her father's early deathbed—her youthful adventures in France, and return to Holyrood—the French Ambassador's horror at the savage music he heard—John Knox, and his blast against the " monstrous regiment [regimen or government] of women "—the scandal of French dancing circa 1561—with a number more of the like entertaining passages, flowers culled from the bypaths of historical reading. But here the truthful attraction of the lecture ceased : the adaptation of the music to various scenes and situations was entirely fanciful, though bearing as directly upon them as certain old Scottish melodies united to the congenial lyrics of Mr. BALLANTINE of Edinburgh would permit. This defect, inherent in the entertainment from the early date of its action, is the more obvious from the perfection of Mr. WILSON'S " Adventures of Prince Charlie "; to which the real Jacobite poetry and music con- tributed such life and spirit. The whole performance was rather of local and historical than general interest. Many of the expressions were translated for the benefit of Southern hearers ; and some sen- tences in the broad native dialect, which were exceedingly well received by those who were " native, and to the manner born," excluded a con- siderable section of the audience from participation in the joke. The music was diversified in style : it commenced well, with the old Scot- tish pathos—exhibited the national peculiarities in the quaint anti- quated progression of fifths—and proceeded to tunes of a lively bur- den, to which some of the audience literally stamped their approbation, showing in the same a vehement propensity to get up and dance. We had also a novel comic effect—a song delivered through the nose, in ridicule of the twang of the precisians of Queen Mary's day. Upon the whole the music is of subsidiary interest to the narrative : but we discovered in the performance of it another reason, besides the variety of effect be- fore alluded to, for Mr. Wn.soN's sparing himself some portion of the immense labour which he has of late imposed on his vocal organ. His intonation, long known to us as irreproachable, exhibited, in the attempt to command his high notes, a manifest flatness. This may have been a casualty ; but we should rather take it, in a performer of his standing, to be an indication of the necessity of husbanding his resources, if he would have his music do full justice to his literature.

WiLsoN had prepared his present entertainment last season ; but a .domestic affliction prevented his bringing it forward ; when TEMPLE- TON gained a start, and appeared first in the field as the original appro- priator of the subject. Comparison is, however, greatly in favour of the later production. In this there is a characteristic simplicity and eloquence, which take their hue from Mr. WILsoN's mind ; while his rival has dwelt more on the finery and maudlin sentimentality of his subject, in a composition so digressive as to be wholly deficient in that impress of individual character which is the distinctive mark of earnest authorship. This performance may be dismissed at once, as one of inferior charac- ter, got up for the nonce.

HORNCASTLE'S entertainments, on the Music of Ireland, are rather too diffuse in their plan ; and though they open a wide field for illustra- tion, their literature is defective, from the want of coherence in the de- sign and some strong and common centre of attraction. The nice work of dovetailing lecture and song so as to occupy two hours with full jus- tice and effect to each, is rarely well performed. Mr. HORNCASTLE seems to have depended mainly on a considerable stock of national music, much of it derived from peculiar sources, which by means of his assistants, Miss Pommy., Miss Cunrrr, and Miss LE ROY, he is able to serve up in considerable variety. Not to lose opportunities for his music, be frequently curtails his reading to such a degree that but for the form's sake we could wish it wholly omitted. Could he borrow some of WILSON'S literary tact, and lend in return some of his more ample means of illustration, the lectures of both would be improved. With a voice of limited power and peculiar quality, which must ever prevent him from taking a high rank as a solo-singer, Mr. HORNCASTLE de- servedly possesses the reputation of being one of the best musicians extant among the vocal profession. His taste and skill in arranging parts were very agreeably shown in the three-part harmony which re- presents the chorus or burden to songs of the Trades in Ireland. The combination of soprano, alto, and tenor, was often pleasing and new ; and the fine free-speaking notes of Miss Curnris voice contributed much to its effect. But in the solos, which we heard this lady perform in Mr. Honscasmn's first lecture at Crosby Hall, she was less success- ful ; her voice when put out in its strength having a strong tendency to become too sharp. Here, it may be said, is one of the disadvantages of depending on others. Illustrations should be given with especial truth and perfection : the calculations against failure should be rendered al- most certain, that nothing may weaken the impression. The objection is valid against a numerous chorus, but not against an association of three or four when due rehearsal has taken place.

The most signal failure in the attempt at the solo lecture and illustra- tion, has been Mr. H. PHILLIPS'S entertainment called " Varied Hours." The singer quite over-estimated the attractions of his fine voice, when he attempted to weave a fabric out of Drama's songs, with their weak and obsolete morality, and the shreds and patches of magazine litera- ture combined with Joe Miller. In vain Mr Prru.LIPs showed himself a joker, a clever story-teller, a good mimic : the laughter he produced was saturnine, the involuntary product of absurdity—of subjects loosely thrown together, without dependence or consequence, merely for the purpose of introducing his favourite songs. It was strange, bait was instructive as to the effect of mere songs, to observe how soon the voice of this fine singer ceased to give any extraordinary sensation. He accompanied himself too,—a compendious method of lecturing, but, we fear, bringing no flattering tales from the treasury.