THE GLOUCESTER FESTIVAL.

MANY of our musical festivals suffer seriously from that passion for novelties which has the result of sur- feiting the auditors with a positive glut of new music, when a large proportion of them would sooner hear their old favourites. Under this condemnation the directors of the Three Choirs' Festival rarely fall, and the programme of this year's meeting at Gloucester exhibits a judicious combination of standard works with some of the best specimens of recent native compositions in the sphere of oratorio and cantata. Dr. Parry's Judith is, taken all round, the most mascu- line and dignified addition to the literature of oratorio which has been produced in this generation, and there is special fitness in chobsing it for performance at Gloucester, with which the composer's family has been so long connected. Sir Arthur Sullivan's Golden Legend again, although it failed to gain. he suffrages of the Berlinese, is a work of great cleverness and suavity; and, finally, Dr. Mackenzie's Dream of Jubal, if lacking in the spontaneity which characterised his earlier work, exhibits that composer's capacity for refined and effective orchestration in a highly favourable light. Besides these quasi-novelties, two entirely new works were forthcoming in the shape of a church cantata by Mr: C. Lee Williams, the conductor of the festival, and a short cantata entitled Elysium, from the pen of Miss Ellicott, one of the few ladies in this country who aspire to the higher walks of composition. Monday was devoted entirely to the labours of rehearsals. Chorus and orchestra began betimes, and from 10 till 5, with but little intermission, were singing and playing as though for their dear lives. Night brought them no respite, only a change in the scene of their toil from the cathedral to the Shire Hall, where, from 7.30 till nearly 11, one conductor after another kept them assiduously at work at different scores. The vocal rank and file on these occasions, we may remind our readers, come from a variety of places. Besides the local singers and contingents from the neigh- bouring cathedral towns, it is found advisable to call in the aid of detachments from Bradford—where the splendid Yorkshire voices are found in the greatest perfection— and from Cardiff, for Welsh basses are as fine as York- shire tenors. The result of this method has been eminently satisfactory. This year the chorus proved to be a really admirable body of singers. Considering their modest numbers, the volume of sound was quite amazing; and in balance and tunefulness little, if anything, was left to be desired. The orchestra, numbering sixty-five performers, was an essentially English band, Mr. Szczepanowski being the one exception that severely proved the rule. Most of the faces were very familiar to London concert-goers, but there were some notable omissions, Mr. Wotton, our best bassoon-player, being a conspicuous and much regretted absentee.

In spite of their arduous exertions on the previous day, the chorus greatly distinguished themselves in the opening per- formance of the Elijah which took place on Tuesday after- noon. Gloucester Cathedral is noted for its admirable acoustic properties, and the effect of some of the choral numbers— such as " Be not Afraid," " He Watching over Israel," and " Blessed are the Men who Fear Him "—was truly thrilling. The first Baal chorus, " Baal, we Cry to Thee !" lost greatly in impressiveness by being taken too slow; but the subsequent numbers were splendidly declaimed. After the choral portion of the work, the music assigned to the prophet stands next in importance, and in Mr. Barrington Foote was found a re- presentative who was by no means dwarfed into insignifi- cance by comparison with the great singers who have inseparably associated themselves with the part. The music lies somewhat too high for his voice, and he showed a tendency to take nearly all the recitatives too low. But his articulation is singularly distinct, and his whole reading of the part was marked by power and thoughtful attention to the text. Nature has denied his voice the accents of pathos, but where vigour is demanded, Mr. Foote is excellent. The soprano music was divided between Madame Albani and Miss Anna Williams. The former was in her best voice, and her delivery of " Hear ye, Israel !" with the exception of an occasional carelessness in regard to the words, was wholly admirable. In the trio, "Lift thine Eyes," Madame Albani quite over-emphasised her part ; the number was reduced to a solo with vocal accompaniments. Miss Anna Williams sang the part of the Widow with true feeling, and was excellent in the

final scene of the first part—the dialogue between Elijah and the youth—perhaps the most inspired portion of the whole work. Of the other singers, chief credit attaches to Miss Wilson for her refined delivery of the airs, "Woe unto them " and "O rest in the Lord ;" her rendering of the Jezebel music lacked the vindictive energy for which the music calls.

The concert in the Shire Hall on Tuesday was but poorly attended. The seating-power of the room is limited, but there

cannot have been more than five or six hundred persons present when Dr. Mackenzie gave the signal to the orchestra to begin the charming prelude to The Dream of Jubal. The work is

styled " A Poem with Music," and a great part of the score consists of appropriate orchestral illustrations to the text, which is declaimed by a reciter. In adopting this method, Dr. Mackenzie has followed a precedent set by some of the

greatest composers. To ourselves the combination of instru- ments and the spoken voice is always distracting. Mr. Bennett's libretto is of unequal merit. The narrative portions are flowing and unpretentious, but one cannot say as much for the lyrics. Jubal, in the course of a deep sleep, sees a vision. A celestial visitant reveals to him the after-development of

his art. He causes him to hear in succession various songs, including a song of a labourer in the harvest-field, from which we extract four lines :-

"No dukes nor princes we, my lads, With the sickle 'tie we labour :

And that can flash in the sun, you know, As well as any sabre."

[En passant, we may remark that a sickle, like a file, usually does not "flash in the sun."] We may, perhaps, be thankful that the celestial messenger stopped short at the labourer's song. He might have gone on to favour Jubal with a specimen of the drawing-room ballad or music-hall song. The libretto is quite on a level with most productions of the sort, but it is destitute of the poetic quality. If composers are to do themselves justice, they must either go to the poets—not librettists—or else follow the example of Wagner, and write their own words. The miscellaneous second part which followed the performance of Jubal was

chiefly noticeable for the production of Miss Ellicott's

cantata. Elysium is not the most favourable specimen of Mrs. Heman's muse. But it is eminently adapted to serve as the groundwork of a respectable exercise which, at the risk of seeming ungallant, is all we can find it in our hearts to say of Miss Ellicott's cantata, the chief point about which is the richness of the scoring for the grosse caisse and cymbals. Mr. Bernard Carrodas illustrated the heredity of talent by his agile performance in a violin concerto by Hans Sitt, which proved to be an agreeable specimen of virtuoso music ; and Mr. Barrington Foote sang " 0 to Palermo," one of the best songs in Verdi's earlier manner, with great fervour and power.

On Wednesday morning the Cathedral was well filled to 'hear Dr. Parry conduct his own work. The result was an unqualified success, both as regards conductor, principals, • orchestra, and chorus. Dr. Parry surprised even his friends by the breadth and steadiness of his beat. Miss Anna Williams was thoroughly efficient in the title role. Miss Hilda Wilson in refinement and intelligence contrasted most favourably with former representatives of the part of Meshulle- meth. The composer has given ample opportunities for dis- tinction to the tenor, and of these Mr. Lloyd availed himself to the fullest extent. From first to. last the chorus exerted themselves nobly. Altogether, this was a very fine per- formance of a very fine work. We sincerely trust that at

future performances of Judith the cynical and disparaging analysis which accompanies the book of the words will be dis- pensed with.

The performance of Judith was followed after an hour's interval by that of Rossini's Stabat Mater, a work which is too well known to call for criticism. The chorus fully sus- tained their reputation, in spite of the fatiguing work of the

morning. Their attack was admirable and the tune excellent.

The soloists were the same as in Judith, and it is hardly fair to blame Miss Anna Williams for occasional shortcomings in regard to pitch, considering how severely her voice had been taxed in the previous performance. Her rendering of the

"Infiammatus " was slower than we have usually heard it taken, but in the quartette she was all that could be desired. Miss Hilda Wilson did ample justice to her part, and Mr. Brereton sang with excellent intention and great accuracy. Mr. Lloyd's singing of " Cujus Animam " produced a visible effect on the audience, and his whole rendering was above criticism. The orchestra was perhaps the weakest point in a really excellent performance. They were slightly uncertain at times, and the double basses evinced a tendency to play out of tune on more than one occasion. Mr. Williams conducted, and the work met with great appreciation.

The evening concert of Wednesday, being exclusively sacred, was held in the cathedral, and attracted a very large audience. Mr. C. Lee Williams's cantata The Last Night at .Bethany is a solid piece of workmanship. We heard it described by some one as " eminently chordy," which, if an unscientific, is not an altogether inadequate summary of its character. Slow tempi largely predominate, the measure only once reading an allegro moderato. Bethany was admirably performed by all concerned, Madame Albani making an especial impression in her solo. The new work was followed by the two first parts of the Creation. Madame Albani again sang splendidly, but was unusually negligent in the matter of her words. Mr. Brereton did exceedingly well in the bass part. His work at this festival has distinctly enhanced his repu- tation. On Thursday morning the chorus for the first time showed manifest signs of fatigue. Sullivan's Prodigal Son and Gounod's Hesse Solennelle were given in the morning, and Spohr's Last Judgment in the afternoon, the work of the elder master contrasting moat favourably in point of dignity with the pompousness of the French and the exquisite sweet- ness of the English writer.