VOCAL CONCERTS.

WITH the following rich selection the fourth season of these concerts ended, on Monday night.

Anthem, " I will sing of thy power,"

Glee," Come, gentle zephyr,"

Da.GlIZENZ. HOWLEY. Song, Mr. Hoses. Yet ever just," Madrigal. " As Vesta was,"

Quartet and Chorus. " 8ja water,"

Glee, "Soft and safe."

Air. Miss HAWKS, 0 salutaris host in," Chorus. " The arm of the Lord," Trio, Messrs. Linol.tv, llormin, awl llowiezz MAIMS. WEILER'. WINTER.

CALLENTT.

CHERIIBINI. HAYDN. CORILLI.

Cantata, " The shades of the heroes,"

T. COOKE. Aria, Miss MASSON, Non tenter." MOz ART. Glee," Thou cypress tree," Wm's. ()unfelt° o Coro, " Nettuuo s' unori," Mozsav. Madrigal, " Fire, lire !" MORLEY.

(1:111ZWIt.I. Miss WOODYATT, " Ruse. how sweet," D'Aznossr.

" There is beitiltv " Goss.

Chorus, " To arms." (Sleihmuud) STORACE.

Instead of m entering into a criticism on the individual merits of these pieces or their mariner of performance, we prefer, on the conclusion of the present season, to say a few words on the Vocal Concerts in gene- ral—their purpose, their management, and their bearing on our musical habits and tastes.

Their purpose was to revive and perpetuate the knowledge and prac- tice of English vocal harmony,—that is, emphatically and essentially, the school of English music. In every other branch of the art we are

inferior to our neighbours ; here we stand unrivalled. For in every branch of vocal part-writing, whether Anthem, Madrigal, or Glee, the composers of our own country may safely challenge a comparison with those of any other. The industry, zeal, and research which have been displayed throughout the existence of the Vocal Society, have brought into public notice not only individual pieces of the highest character, but have called into fresh existence an entire class of compositions to which successive audiences have listened with unabated delight : for every Madrigal (with only a single exception) performed during these four seasons has been encored. Nearly every successive concert has presented an epitome of English vocal harmony. The scheme above

will serve as an illustration of this fact. We begin with WEELKES and MonLEy; and the succession reaches through GREENE, WEEBE, and CA i.r cow, to our contemporaries COOKE, HORSLEY, and Goss. It

is evident that a school of vocal writing which covers so ample a sur-

face, must afford a boundless variety of choke ; and every epoch of its existence is marked by some peeuliar feature of excellence. The de- lightful harmonies of the old Madrigal are equally welcome as the graceful and melodious structure of the modern Glee; and if we did not perceive, in following out the links of this harmonic chain, how each has been fastened to the preceding, and how indissolubly the whole is connected, we should scarcely recognize in the graceful phras- ing of Goss's Glee its legitimate derivation from the quaint and fanci- ful combinations in WEELKES'S Madrigal. Here, then, we may listen with profit as well as pleasure—the art may be studied as well as en- joyed. Nor has this, the primary object of these concerts, been pur- sued with a bigoted and exclusive devotion. Ott the contrary, the works of the greatest foreign masters have found a cordial, almost an exclusive welcome. How many compositions of every class, both Ita- lian and German, have been produced, which the regulations of other societies proscribe, or which they, practically, confess themselves un- able to attempt ! It is but simple justice to say, that every promise held out by the Society has been liberally performed. There have been no shuffling or lying excuses, no Drury Lane puffs, no make-shifts, no jobbing, and no relaxation of 'about.. Every thing has betokened activity, pre- paration, forethought, discipline. The last season, on the whole, has been the best season. A few members withdrew before its commencement; some of whose places have been efficiently supplied : and the number of singers being les- sened, the same parties have been brought into closer and more fre- quent union, to the manifest improvement of the glees. Experience has shown the fitness or unfitness of each performer for a certain line of vocal business ; and hence the machine has worked more smoothly and more powerfully. The immediate operation of these concerts on the public taste has been but small—the remote and indirect operation extensive. Probably more money was taken last week at RUSINI'S benefit, than at the Vocal Concerts for two entire seasons. Not a single titled person has been found to patronize a series of concerts where, alone, the English school of music was the prominent object—where, alone, it was possible to become familiar with productions which, equally with those of SHAKSPEARE, NEWTON, and LOCKE, adorn and dignify our na- tive land. The noisy vulgarity of BELLIN1 is more to their taste. Let us make the honourable exception of the Dutchess of KENT and our future Queen' who have attended these concerts not merely as a matter of duty, but as a source of gratification and improvement. We state this with a perfect knowledge of the fact. Their beneficial in- fluence must be traced in the diffusion of classical music throughout the kingdom. Many pieces here produced, both ancient and modern, have found their way into festivals and concerts, and given amusement to the social circle. Madrigals have become generally known and sung; the ample stores of our Church music have been unfolded ; much of the modern Operas of Germany, as well as the detached Songs of BEETHOVEN, SPOHR, MOZART, and WEBER, have been ren- dered accessible to English amateurs and professors, through the well- directed activity of the Vocal Society. Their labours are addressed to the musically educated—that is, to the few; but by them they are appreciated. The experiment of continuing these concerts to a later period in the season, has not succeeded. The audiences have been less numerous since than before Easter ; and as it is the custom with our concert- goers rather to inquire who than what they are to hear, the simple an- nouncement of "a selection of classical music," can hardly be ex- pected to draw "a numerous and fashionable assembly."