THE PURCELL CLUB.
THE half-yearly meeting of this Club was held on Thursday, at the. Sussex Hotel; when a strong party of those English musicians who are not in profession merely, but in truth, admirers of the works of the greatest of their predecessors, assembled. Among them, were Messrs. HOBBS, HAWKINS, BELLAMY, BRADBURY, KING, CLIFTON, and H ULLAH ; the chair was filled by the Gresham Professor of Music ; and Mr. TURLE officiated as Conductor. The selection, in point of vas riety, beauty, and the chief attributes of vocal composition, was such as no other English and very few foreign composers of any age or country could have furnished. Some of PURCELL'S Latin Motets, which we never had the gratification of hearing before, were performed in a style of great excellence ; particularly his " Jehovah, quern multi" —a composition in the style of CARISSYMI, but (a rare quality) fully equalling the excellence of its model. The other parts of the selea. tion consisted of single pieces or scenesTrom his dramatic compositions ; especially from " King Arthur," 4, The Libertine," " The Massacre of Paris," " Tyrannick Love," " Dioclesien," and " The Fairy Queen."
The Chairman proposM the standing toast," The immortal memory of Henry Purcell," with a warm and just eillogium on the character of the greatest of English musicians, and introduced every composition performed with some appropriate historical notice.
Previous page
