Church Music Association Public Rehearsal

"Final C. M. A. rehearsal, Steinway, 4 to 6, crowded, generally approved, & of good promise for tomorrow night’s concert. I fear the latter may be honored by an uncomfortably large audience, for tickets are in great demand. The whole programme executed. Preciosa—Lurline overture & the Mass. People are enthusiastic about the Preciosa choruses & Mrs. Kempton’s 'Einsam bin ich, nicht allein,' & no wonder, for that music is a circlet of gems—chief of which is that matchless starlight chorus, with the beautiful arabesque of the violins surrounding the downright honest joyous melody of the voices. Strange that lovely composition should be almost unknown. Few of our young people had ever heard it. Both chorus & soli did well in the Mass. The gorgeous 'Et vitam'—the Gloria—the Et incarnatus—the Kyrie, were almost perfectly rendered. It is all full of beauty & strength, unrivalled in these days. To instance but one detail, what living composer has written a phrase so true & so touching as the opening of the Agnus?" 

“Yesterday afternoon the Church Music Association held at Steinway Hall their final rehearsal for this evening’s concert. [Lists program.] This is a selection which ought to suit the most catholic tastes, for the three works differ about as widely as it is possible for three pieces of good music to differ. ‘Lurline’ is pretty well known in New-York, but has rarely, if ever, ben given with an orchestra so large and so carefully trained as that which is to play it on this occasion. The mass is one of the most interesting as well as one of the greatest of Haydn’s compositions, and though the solo parts are rather indifferently sung, and Dr. Pech has taken the lamentable liberty of adding certain brass instruments to the orchestra (can nothing induce this man to let the great musicians alone?), the performance, if it do [sic] not fall below that of yesterday is [sic] spirit and accuracy, can hardly fail to be impressive. The ‘Preciosa’ music will doubtless please the public best. It is one of the most exquisite flowers of Weber’s genius,—a composition whose every measure is pure poetry.”