THE BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
OUR Musical Festivals form so important a feature in the history of the art, that no journal pretending to real musical criticism will con- tent itself with a bare and superficial notice of them. In the scale of musical excellence these periodical demonstrations of talent occupy very different ranks ; but they are, generally, rising to a degree of eminence which claims the attention of the musical critic. The tho- rough-bred Cockney, whether musical or otherwise, whether profes- sional or amateur, thinks that all excellence of this kind, as of every other, is to be found only in London. He is exceedingly mistaken. In London musical talent is more concentrated, but in the country it is more diffused ; and he who would know what progress musical taste and musical knowledge are making in England, will form a most im- perfect and erroneous estimate, if he judges of it merely from what he hears in the metropolis.
Of all the provincial meetings that of Birmingham for a long while held the undisputed preeminence. The others had fallen into evil hands, and had consequently sunk into contempt. They were, fre- quently, the mere speculations of a family of musical adventurers, who tramped the country like strolling players, and by the aid of some talent, a good deal of industry, and a great deal of impudence, esta- blished what they called "Grand Musical Festivals" wherever they could get a footing. The people of Birmingham, wise in their gene- ration, brought music to the aid of one of their charities ; and by the excellence of their arrangements, and the powerful patronage and sym- pathy which they thus inlistecl in their cause, made their triennial meeting a source of very large profit. They have the disadvantage of an inconvenient church for their sacred performances, and hence their band cannot produce its full effect ; but they have always mani- fested a degree of alertness, of research, and of enterprise, which has met with few competitors. In the power and extent of their band they are surpassed by York, Norwich, and Manchester: they feel the growing and laudable rivalry which they have excited, and they are exerting them- selves with more than usual energy to sustain, if no longer the first, at least a highly respectable rank in the list of provincial meetings. The credit of having given this impulse to music is preeminently due to Mr. JOSEPH MOORE, a distinguished amateur of Birmingham ; and to him the acting Committee, most wisely, commit the superintendence, selection, and arrangement of the band and the music.
The scheme for the ensuing meeting is now before the public, and it comprehends many novel and important features. It is not, like that of Chester, a raking together of mere commonplaces, the indication of ignorance and idleness. Among the novelties, is a Cantata Sacra by ZINGARELLI, a Service composed by CHERUBINI for the Coronation of CHARLES the Tenth, a Motett by HORSLEY, and a Selection from JosTh by MEHUL. We rather wonder that the materials for the church music should have been sought from the composers of Italy, nearly to the exclusion of those of Germany. We should have thought, that, of contemporary writers, the preference would rather have been given to HUMMEL or SPOHR than to the composers above- mentioned. The first Birmingham scheme announced SCHUTZ'S Ger- man Company; but this, we perceive, is abandoned, and we think wisely. Their performance would have excited more wonderment than pleasure among the people of Birmingham. There is a spirit of puffery in the circular, which is not in good taste, and it is sometimes as unjust as it is foolish. If concerto-players must have puffing, surely LINDLEY and NicuonsoN have as good a title to it as Mrs. ANDER- SON. The whole thing- is too much i the Bartlemy-fair vein. Of MALIBRAN it is asserted, that her " extraordinary powers are but little known in England." Perhaps she has reserved herself for Bir- mingham, and treated her metropolitan hearers with only an inferior display of her talents. Be this as it may, we are happy to see that this most accomplished artiste does not intend again to allow herself to be exhibited to public derision in the music of HANDEL.
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