BENEFIT CONCERTS.
THESE concerts, which foreigners might regard as evidences of our musical taste, are, in truth, merely proofs of the extent of indi- vidual connexion. The public feels little interest or concern about them, as they very rarely offer more than a reiteration of the same pieces, grouped with a little variety, and sprinkled with a little— a very little—novelty of feature. Hence they offer little scope for critical notice. In the three concerts of the past week—viz, those of Messrs. HAWES, VAUGHAN, and SALE, the features have been principally, and in the first and second exclusively, English. Mr. HAWES presented his friends with a very good selection of glees and madrigals; which were sung by Messrs. TERRAIL, GOULDEN, HAWKINS, VAUGHAN, HOBBS, E. TAYLOR, SALE, and BELLAMY. Miss HAWES made her first public appearance, in two songs of no ordinary dilliculty—" Bess of Bedlam," and " He was eyes unto the blind." Songs which demand mere flexibility may be taught, but those of HANDEL and PURCELL furnish em- ployment for the mind as well as the throat, and for this reason their full power and meaning are rarely developed. Miss Hawlis's singing evinced more mental than physical energy : her concep- tion of what she had to do was just and strong, and the embar- rassment which a female feels, and ought to feel, on first concen- trating the attention of a large audience upon herself, probably abated somewhat of her habitual power. We have no doubt, therefore, that this young lady's voice is really stronger than it appeared to be, and that as the opportunities of exercising it in public arc increased, more self-possession and more power will be evinced.
Mr. VAUGHAN selected for his Concert Dr. CROTCH'S Palestine. Of' this work we have often had occasion to speak. Its merits are great, though unequal. Has it occurred to the managers of the Royal Festival that there is such a work as Palestine ? or has its author been applied to for permission to have any part of it performed, and refused it? We should like to have these questions answered. Palestine is a work of little dramatic interest, from which a scene might be extracted without injury to its general effect. It contains a few concerted pieces and choruses of consum- mate beauty and unsurpassed majesty : these ought to be heard. Mr. SALE's concert was an admixture of the English and Italian schools, with a few additions from the oratorios of HANDEL and HAYDN. GRIST, TAMBURINI, and RuuimNI, sang some songs and concerted pieces, from the operas of Otello, La Gazza Ladra, and 11 Barbiere ; of which we have spoken in their proper places. The Dutchess of KENT and her daughter were present, and the room was well filled.
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