The Festival of 1845 commenced on Tuesday evening, September 16th, and continued on the 17th, 18th, and 19th. The programme included miscellaneous concerts on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings; a selection of sacred music, and Haydn’s Oratorio “The Seasons,” on Wednesday morning; another selection of sacred music, and Spohr’s Oratorio “Calvary,” on Thursday morning; and Handel’s sacred Oratorio “Messiah,” with additional accompaniments by Mozart, on Friday morning. All the concerts were well attended. The principal vocalists were Madame Grisi, Miss Dolby, Madame Caradori Allan, Miss Poole, Signor Mario, Signor F. Lablache, Mr. Hobbs, Mr. Machin, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Bradbury, and Herr Staudigl. Mr. Benedict was conductor; Mr. J. Hill, chorus master; Mr. F. Cooke, leader of the band; Mr. Turle, organist. The chorus comprised the usual number of voices. The band included the best instrumentalists in England, and the festival was very successful.
The Festival of 1848 commenced on Tuesday, September 12th, with a miscellaneous concert, followed by similar concerts on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. On Wednesday morning the programme comprised a sacred Cantata, by L. Spohr, “The Christian’s Prayer,” and Haydn’s Oratorio “Creation.” On Thursday morning Mendelssohn’s Oratorio of “Elijah” was performed. On Friday morning “David Penitent,” a sacred Cantata by Mozart, was given, followed by Handel’s “Israel in Egypt,” one of the best of his numerous productions. The principal vocalists were Madame Castellan, Madame Alboni, Madame Viardot Garcia, Miss A. Williams, Miss M. Williams; Signor Lablache, basso; Mr. Sims Reeves, tenor; Mr. H. Phillips, basso; Mr. Whitworth, tenor; Mr. Lockey, tenor. Mr. Benedict was conductor; Mr. H. Blagrove, leader of the band; Mr. Harcourt, organist. Professor Taylor translated “The Christian’s Prayer” for this occasion. Mr. J. F. Hill was chorus master.
In September, 1852, the Festival again comprised grand miscellaneous concerts on the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings, which concerts were well attended. On the first evening, Mrs. Fanny Kemble read the “Midsummer’s Night’s Dream,” but the reading was a failure, as she could only be heard a short distance from the orchestra. On the Wednesday morning a new Oratorio, “Israel Restored,” by Dr. Bexfield, was performed for the first time at a festival. On Thursday morning Mr. H. H. Pierson’s Oratorio, “Jerusalem,” was performed for the first time, and occupied nearly four hours. On Friday morning the “Messiah” was performed as usual. The principal vocalists were Miss Louisa Pyne, Miss Alleyne, Miss Dolby, Madame Viardot Garcia, Madame Fiorentini, Signor Gardoni, Signor Belletti, Mr. Weiss, Mr. Lockey, Herr Formes, Mr. Sims Reeves. Mr. Benedict was conductor; Mr. H. Blagrove, leader of the band in the morning performances, and Mons. Sainton in the evening performances; Mr. J. F. Hill, chorus master. At the close of the performance on the Wednesday morning (September 22nd), a short selection from Handel’s Oratorio of “Samson” was given as a tribute of respect to the memory of the late Duke of Wellington. Madame V. Garcia sung the solo—
“Ye sons of Israel, now lament,
Your spear is broke, your bow unbent,
Your glory’s fled.
Among the dead,
Our hero lies,
For ever closed his eyes.”
The “Dead March” was played and the chorus sung—
“Glorious hero, may thy grave
Peace and honour ever have;
After all thy pains and woes,
Rest eternal, sweet repose.”
The Festival in September, 1854, again comprised miscellaneous concerts in the evenings, and Oratorios in the mornings. On Tuesday morning, September 12th, the programme included Rossini’s “Stabat Mater,” Meyerbeer’s “91st Psalm,” and a selection of sacred music. On Wednesday morning Beethoven’s Service in C, and Haydn’s “Creation” were brilliantly performed. On Thursday morning Mendelssohn’s “Elijah” attracted a very large audience. On Friday morning the “Messiah” was given, with the additional accompaniments by Mozart. The principal vocalists were Madame Clara Novello, Madame Angelina Bosio, Madame Castellan, Madame Weiss, Miss Dolby, Mr. Sims Reeves, Signor Gardoni, Herr Reichardt, Signor Lablache, Signor Belletti, and Mr. Weiss. Mr. Benedict was conductor; Mons. Sainton and Mr. H. Blagrove, instrumental solo performers; Herr Hausman, violoncello; Mr. J. F. Hill, chorus master. On Tuesday evening the concert included a descriptive and characteristic Cantata, called “Tam o’ Shanter,” the words by Burns and the music by Macfarren. It consisted of a solo and chorus, which were sung with great applause. Indeed, nothing so comic and lively had ever been heard before at any festival.
Notwithstanding all the attractions of this festival it proved a failure in a financial point of view, and it was feared that these triennial musical meetings would no longer answer, but their promoters determined not to give them up. A committee was appointed; efforts were made to secure by all proper means success in future; and several of the county nobility joined as members of the committee. That this determination was made on good grounds, was fully proved by the success of the three subsequent festivals of 1857, 1860, and 1863, the surplus from which was, in round numbers, severally, £425, £916, and £1221. From these sums no less than £2000 were distributed amongst the charities.
The Festival of 1857 commenced on Tuesday evening, September 15th, with a miscellaneous concert, and similar concerts were given on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. On Wednesday morning the programme comprised a sacred Cantata by Louis Spohr, “God Thou art Great,” a Hymn of Praise (Lobgesang) by Mendelssohn, and the “Requiem” of Mozart, his latest work. On Thursday morning Beethoven’s Sacred Cantata, “The Mount of Olives,” and Haydn’s Oratorio, “The Seasons” were performed. The “Messiah” was given on Friday morning, and concluded the festival. The principal vocalists were Madame Clara Novello, Madlle. Leonhardi, Madame Weiss, Mrs. Lockey, Madlle. Piccolomini, Signor Gardoni, Signor Giuglini, Signor Belletti, Mr. Lockey, Mr. Miranda, and Mr. Weiss. Mr. Benedict was conductor; Mons. Sainton, H. Blagrove, and Herr Hausman, were instrumental solo performers; Mr. J. F. Hill was chorus master.
The Festival of 1860 was under very distinguished patronage and eminently successful. The programme included Haydn’s “Creation,” Handel’s “Messiah,” Dr. Spohr’s “Last Judgment,” Herr Molique’s “Abraham,” and Handel’s “Dettingen Te Deum,” all sacred music of the highest class, assigned to the morning performances. The evening concerts comprised Glück’s “Armida,” Professor Sterndale Bennett’s Pastoral, “The May Queen,” Benedict’s Cantata, “Undine,” besides selections from the most popular operas, part songs, madrigals, symphonies, and overtures, all of which were admirably rendered and highly applauded.