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The Bradford Musical Festival has been held during this week. It commenced on Tuesday and terminated yesterday. The arrangements (the general superintendence of which was committed to Mr. Costa) have been on an extensive scale. The instrumental orchestra has been almost identical with the Royal Italian Opera band ; the chorus has been gathered from the town and the neighbouring district, with scarcely any additions from London or other parts of the country—a proper proceeding, for the Yorkshire choristers are the best in England, if not in the world : and the solo performers have consisted of our greatest favourites both na- tive and foreign, including, Madame Clara Novelle, Madame Sherrington, Mrs. Sunderland (a lady of great provincial reputation), Miss Palmer, Madame Didiee, Mademoiselle Titiens, Mr. Sims Reeves, Mr. Santley, Mr. Cooper, Signor Giuglini, and Signor Belletti. The programmes of the various performances have been made up, generally speaking, of music of acknowledged excellence, and the selection is such as, a few years ago, would have been perfectly well suited to a provincial audience. But there is hardly such a thing now-a-days as a provincial
audience ; the intercourse with London being so close and easy that lovers of music, wherever they reside, are in general well acquainted with the entertainments of the metropolis, and require the same novelty and variety as the London public, in the music presented to them. In this respect the Bradford Festival has been faulty : no attempt having been made to extend the narrow range of pieces made use of on such oc- casions, by bringing forward anything that would have been fresh and interesting to the musical portion of the public. The sacred per- formances consisted of The Creation, the 'lettingen Te Deum, a portion of Judas Jfaeeabeua, St. Paul, and The Messiah; and the miscellaneous concerts were made up of pieces which had been popular during the season at the Italian Opera and the metropolitan concerts.
The fine weather has been very favourable to the Festival. There has been a great influx into Bradford from the neighbouring districts ; and the town, busy and bustling at all times, assumed the aspect of gaiety and fashion. The performances have been well attended; the magnificent new concert hall having been always full and sometimes crowded ; and the funds of the Bradford Infirmary will doubtless be largely benefited by the pecuniary result of the Festival.
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