At the Hanover Square Rooms, on Monday, Mr. George Perry, -
the leader of the Sacred Harmonic Society's orchestra, produced an oratorio called Hezekiah. Mr. Perry has already brought forward more than one attempt in this most arduous branch of the musical art; but his powers are not equal to his ambition and perseverance. He is evidently a sound musician, conversant with the principles of his art, and skilful in the de- tails of its practice. He is well read, too, in the works of the ecclesiastical compose rs of this and other countries; and indeed, the results of his read- ing are only too palpable in his own productions. There is not a grain of invention in Hesekiah: everything:is regular, scholastic, "conventional; and consequently flat. The piece was well performed, and well received by an evidently friendly audience.
Beethoven's Egmont was performed in public last night, at the Store Street Rooms. It will be remembered that there was a private performance of this music at Mr. Wilson's house, some months ago, to a pretty numerous company of amateurs; when its effect was such as to encourage Mr. Mill- ler to bring it forward in public on a larger scale. Last night there was an instrumental orchestra, not numerous indeed, but very select and effective. The poem, as before, was recited by Mr. Wilson; who also sang the airs. The effects of Beethoven's exquisite instrumentation were well developed; and the vocal melodies were sung with beauty and expression as the poem was declaimed with energy and feeling, by Mr. Wilson. expression, entertain- ment gave great satisfaction to a numerous audience, among whom was Jenny Lind.
M. and Madame Goffrie gave a matinee musicale on Tuesday, in the Beethoven Rooms. M. Goffrie, is well known as an excellent violinist, especially in quartet-playing: Madame Goffrie, who is very young, is a pianist of extraordinary merit. Her performance, with Joachim, of Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, was admirable for its taste and purity. Several quartets and concerted pianoforte pieces were admirably executed.
Dr. Sphor is in London, to fulfil an engagement with the Sacred Har- monic Society. His first appearance is to be on Friday next; when he con- ducts the performance of his oratorio The Fall of Babylon.
A private correspondent of taste and judgment calls our attention to Dr. Mainzer's success in Edinburgh, at the head of the Association for the Revival of Sacred Music. The first efforts of the earnest German pro- fessor in Scotland encountered much prejudice and many obstacles; but his single-minded and indomitable perseverance has overcome them all; and now his classes are fairly at work. Last week, three hundred children, of humble parentage, whom he teaches gratuitously, assembled at the Music Hall in George Street, and, with the assistance-of professional tenors and basses, performed Handers oratorio of Judas Afisecabmus, in a way to sur- prise the fashionable audience that filled the room. The Edinburgh Adver- tiser says- " The classes of the Association were opened for the first time in the month of March 184,5, and few children, comparatively, attended; in March 1847, more than three thousand had been instructed in the first elements of vocal music; and at the present moment nearly three hundred are able to give of a work of Handel so true and faithful an interpretation, that he, the greatest of musicians, had he lived to be a witness, might not have thought it unworthy of himself."
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