Commencement at the Cooper Union

“The Trustees of this institution announce the fourth annual commencement, opening this evening with the reception of the Female Art Department, the Male to-morrow evening, and closing on Saturday evening with the musical exhibition in the great hall of the institute.”

“After devoting two evenings very agreeably to the exhibition of the productions of the pupils of the School of Design, the Trustees of the Cooper Union, last night, concluded their Commencement proceedings with a musical entertainment and other interesting exercises that filled the large hall of the Institute with an appreciative audience.  The proceedings were inaugurated by the invocation of the Divine blessing.  Following this came the musical part of the programme, consisting of well-selected and agreeable choruses, solos, duetts, &c., by the class of Mr. Geo F. Bristow.  These sweet sounds having duly gratified the listeners, the next step in the order of exercises was the reading of the annual report of the Institution. . . .

. . . Instruction has been given at night to mechanics in algebra, geometry, trigonometry, chemistry, natural philosophy, theoretical mechanics, architectural, mechanical and free-hand drawing, phonography and vocal music. . . .

. . . The trustees . . .  intend also to enlarge the night-classes of the Music Department.”

Includes program and performers.

“A very indulging and good-natured company of some three to four thousand persons had congregated on Saturday, May 30, in the large Hall of the Cooper Union, to hear the exhibition of the Music Class connected with that Institution; principally the students and their friends filled the room.

We will not criticize in detail the execution of the above programme, but with the best intentions not to find fault with the results aimed at by the noble founder of that Institution, we cannot possibly withhold the remark, that if the talent of the hundred members constituting the music class, and of which the names were mentioned on the programme, of having certificates awarded to them, is to be taken as a standard of the merits of the classes in other departments, then that standard is very low, as the singing in general, with a few rare exceptions, was poor. Not half the number of the class were present; of that half the greatest half did scarcely sing at all, and finally of the small half that did sing, all were not sufficiently drilled to look at their leader, and to commence at the same time—most of the singers following in the track of a few leading voices, and it was evident that none could sing their part independently of help, (perhaps excepting the sopranos.) As the conductor and teacher (Mr. Bristow) had to play all the time the different parts fortissimo on the piano, the observation of the pianos and fortes was of course very deficient, and the fluttering of the voices sometimes disagreeable.

We spoke of a few rare exceptions, namely, the beautiful quintet was very creditably performed by Mrs. Brown, Mr. Johnston, and others, wanting only a little more pathos to satisfy us entirely. Mrs. Brown acquitted herself very well of her laborious task. Mrs. Hartshorn sang not as well as she did two years ago, and a lady whose performance was not mentioned on the programme, sang in a style exciting the merriment of the audience; she evidentally had never received any instruction in singing, and it is inexplicable to us why she was brought before the public.

We must not omit to mention a well-played piano duet, executed by Miss Martel and Mr. Bristow. This young lady is a credit to the Institution, and deserves fully her certificate for her perseverance. We could not ascertain how long she had studied the Piano at the Institute; by her playing we would judge her to be one of those who received instruction from the time the Institute opened, namely four years ago. 

From the reading of the annual report we learned that the revenues of the Institution from rents, for the last year, amounted to about $19,000, which were almost entirely expended for the purpose of the founder, the instruction of the young men and women of New York in Mathematics, Chemistry, Natural Philosophy, Architectural, Mechanical, and free-hand drawing, Perspective, Engraving, Painting, and Music. Some fifteen hundred pupils received instruction, and sixteen or twenty teachers were employed.

We were informed by one of our friends, an artist, that the art Exhibition of the Drawing Classes, distinguished itself for excellence. We are happy to state this, but very sorry that the music class exhibition was only distinguished in an opposite direction. 

That the evening papers of New York called the musical performance a success, is of course conventional on all similar occasions.