MUSICAL RETROSPECTIONS AND ANTICIPATIONS FOR Ti E SEASON.
PASSION-WEEK is a mere blank, musically speaking. Our profes- sors are escaped from the smoke of London, and are recruiting; their strength and health for the approaching labours of the season. In this interval it may be as well to take a brief retrospect of the musical events of the 3-ear, and indulge in a glance at the future. The principal Vocal Societies have gone on in their usual course, with an improvement on the part of sonic. The Catch Chth is full, of course. Its annual prize is not yet given; but from tlic number and talents of its competitors there is no doubt that it must be awarded to a composition of no inferior character. The prize for the serious glee, given by the Glee Glob, was gained by HORSLEY ; that for the cheerful glee by ELLIOT. Time Harmoni.sls have closed a successful season under the direction of Sir GEORGE SMART and Mr. ATTWOOD. The COMTI/Thre8 have also finished their meetings for the season, during which a valuable addition to the stock of English vocal music has been made by ATTWOOD, HORSLEY, WALMISLEY, W. LINLEY, Goss, and its other mem- bers. The Argyll Give Club is revived under the title of the Union Glee Club, and promises to do well. The venerable Madri- gal soclely is new-born. Its anniversary was splendid, and, under the auspwesof its zealous and highly-respected President, Sir ..EBIN ROGERS, bids fair to renew the days of MORLEY and Waismilis. The Nelodists are not making- all they might do of their means : they have sonic good materials innong them, if they are lightly used.
In the short time which has elapsed since the commencement of the present musical season, there are some circumstances which indicate a progress in the taste of the metropolis. Among these may be reckoned the failure of the Oratorios, the success of the Concert at Guiklhall, and the continued prosperity of Ilte Philhar- monie. These results all point one Way : they show that the public will go to hear what is good, and that they will not go to hear what is—we won't say bad, but second-rate. They will not give seven shillings to hear middling singers and a middling band; but they will give fifteen shillinos to hear those Ivhielt are first-rale. Our decided opinion is, that any class of good music, if performed with a band capable of doing it justice, will succeed ; but that a slovenly, inferior class of performance, be the music of what cis:iv:atter it nine, will fail. And so it ought: such a result is precisely what xve should wish.
The Ancient Concert is fast sinking in reputation. Time was when there was not a first-rate singer of sacred music out of 1 his concert. It would hardly be hezaiding- too much to anirm that the very reverse is now the case. A concert of an music it is not. Its distinctive features remain no longer. Its bills exhi- bit a mixture of modern compositions ; but, with a perverse ing inlay, of such as least deserve to Mid a place there. Will it he believed that in the twelve concerts of the last season, the dills- trioitv name yllaydn do's not once occur ! Perhaps it has nor yet reached the ears of " the noble directors " t •at such a person ever existed. But what can be expected from half a dozen noble-
en, whose knowledge of music is confined to the hooks of the Ancient Concert, with a conductor too indolent to move a hair's breadth out of the circle in which. he tin% elled so long? We shall probably recur to this subject, and expose in true and proper colours 1 he contemptible tfnhIL xvhich this sA.i:2Iy is now 'become. It stands in the way of something better.
Benefit Concerts without end will soon succeed each other, with- out allowing the Argyll Rooms time to cool. These are, generally speaking, injurious to music. They depend for success, not on the merits of the performers, but on impudence and interest. Not an eflint is made to ails mice the art. The most commonplace and hacknied things are scrambled together for the occasion, and a few songs and duets go the round of all. It would be a curious exhi- bition, could we show, at the end of the season, of how slender a choice of materials these concerts are composed. But "robes and furred gowns hide all." For example, we see a concert announced for the benefit of a Miss CHAMBERS, who, upon the strength of being able to place thirty fashionable patronesses at the head of her advertisement, boldly fixes her tickets at " One guinea each." What amazes us is the perfect apathy of the'English artists, both
vocal and instrumental : they plod on their dull and weary way, content to fall down and worship each successive foreign idol that makes her appearance, without an effort to give English music
or English talent a chance. VAUGHAN sings his everlasting "Alexis," BRAHAM his " Otis a glorious sight," Miss STEPHENS her " Rest, warrior, rest;' and these airs, enlivened by "Discord, dire sister,"
and time " Harmoi dons 131acksmit la" or the " Sequel to 0 Lady fair,"
arranged by Mr. GREATOREX, form the leading features of an Eng- lish concert. And then they wonder and complain that native latent is neglected ! The truth is, that the public are neglected and
insulted by these endless repetitions ; and they show their sense of such treatment by absenting themselves from exhibitions in which the principal care is to take as little trouble as possible. The end- less feuds and factions into which the English musicians are split, operate also to the prejudice of English music. Where do you ever see the combined first-rate talent of our country concentrated? There is no such instance within our memories. Look at the sing- ers announced at any lwnefit concert, and you can at once say to what party a maim belongs. He (hires not step beyond the circle of his own squad. Such an attempt would chats clown their s en- geanee, and be the signal for their desertion. Thus no English convert exhibits a perfect vocal band ; you have half at one room and half at another, but never the whole. There is also a party about rooms. Certain persons choose to patronize none but the Hano-
ver Square Rooms, while others are almost forbidden to enter them. How many times, for instance, has liamiAm sung there in the course of his life ? Perhaps thirty times.
We might go on to enumerate other reasons for the low ebb at which English music now stands, but these will suffice for the pre- sent. We shall have occasion again aml again to recur to the sub- ject. In trot h it is one of no mean importance. Our sole object. is the advancement of the science and practice of music ; and this we intend to pursue, regardless of parties and fael ions, as well as of the pitiful meanness and shameless effrontery with which their re- spective claims are upheld.
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