English Glee Concert: 1st

“The first of a series of three concerts chiefly of English glees was given last night, at Lyric Hall, by a little club of ladies and gentlemen who have already become pretty well known in musical circles for their devotion to this class of music. [Lists performers.] They are doing a real service to art by the cultivation of a rich but neglected filed, and the effect of their modest entertainments must be the elevation of musical taste and the enlargement of musical knowledge. The best of the English glee [illeg.] were the worthy successors of the old madrigalists, and in their peculiar school they have no rivals for purity of sentiment, heartiness of spirit, and that sort of elaborate scientific simplicity which is the product of a highly-refined art. There were several pieces on the programme last night which were not glees—for instance, there was an excellent male quartet of Mr. Goldbeck’s on Charles Kingsley’s little poem of ‘Three Fishers’—but these selections, being in harmony with the general character of the concert, there was no reason to complain of their introduction.

 

The execution of the various songs and glees presented many opportunities for hearty praise, and some few for criticism. The singers have pleasant voices, always true and harmonious, and their taste and intelligence are admirable. They are deficient, however, in that delicacy of shading, that soft and gentle modulation, which we learned to relish so keenly in the English singers—Miss Wynne, Mr. and Mrs. Patey, Mr. Cummings, and Mr. Santley—brought here a few years ago by Mr. George Dolby. The ladies and gentlemen at Lyric Hall used their composers pretty roughly sometimes, attacking them with an explosive vigor, and singing almost always too loud. The blending of the voices was therefore imperfect, and the impression conveyed was that all their work needed to be toned down.”

“The first concert of a series of three, devoted almost exclusively to this description of music. Took place last evening at Lyric Hall. A large and refined audience listened, with attention and evident appreciation, to the polished and intelligent interpretation which each member of the programme received, bestowing frequent marks of approval, which certainly were richly merited—but not waking up to a complete realization of the æsthetic beauties which the bountiful feast provided for them contained. The programme was arranged with not a little taste, the varied styles and quaintnesses [sic] of Bishop, Evans, Hatton, Lord Mornington, Leslie and Jackson, contrasting forcibly; yet by their variety serving only to bring out in clearer light the special beauties and peculiar points of each composition and school. For instance, with what pleasure even the uncultured ear dwelt on the delicate modulations, flowing melody and mellow harmonies of J. Stafford Smith’s superb glee for male voices, ‘Return, Blest Days,’ after the ringing echoes of that vigorous and dramatic composition, ‘King Witlaf’s Drinking Horn,’ by Hatton, which opened the concert. The Mendelssohn ‘Autumn Song’ followed, tenderly and delicately sun by Miss Beebe and Miss Finch; and next came the breezy, quaint glee of Dr. Arne, ‘Where the Bee Sucks,’ finely harmonized for four mixed voices by William Jackson. Miss Beebe’s flexible soprano showed to most excellent advantage in this waif from fairy land; and the distinct enunciation, lightness and crispness—preserved even through the impetuous crescendo with which the last stanza closes—were really deserving of the highest commendation.

 

The ’Three Fishers,’ by Goldbeck, is a splendid tone-painting, and was sung in admirable style by Messrs. Bush, Rockwood, Beckett and Aiken. This was the gem of the concert. The beauty of the shading, the expression given the varying sentiment, and the nervous energy accorded certain passages, were superb, while the intelligent and certainly loving appreciation brought to this noble composition call for unqualified praise. The contrasted rendering of the line, ‘For men must work, and women must weep,’ and the effect produced by the plaintive wailing crescendo and decrescendo on the word ‘moaning,’ which ends each verse, were artistic and genuinely touching.

 

Miss Beebe sang Arthur Sullivan’s effective song, ‘Orpheus with his Lute,’ with grace and true sentiment, receiving a recall, and substituting a glowing little ballad by Pinsuti. Leslie’s difficult contrapuntal sextette, ‘Thine Eyes so Bright,’ brought to an end the first portion of the programme. It was a fair specimen of part-singing, but through a slight uncertainty of the tempo, was not altogether satisfactory.

 

The glee to which we have already alluded, ‘Return Blest Days,’ was the opening number of Part II, and was rendered in a finished manner; the last verse particularly being specially noticeable for its beauty of phrasing, its delicacy and emphasis. The bass voice sang superbly in this glee. It was encored, and a spirited, bustling little piece took its place.

 

Miss Finch sang Sullivan’s melodious ballad, ‘O Sweet and Fair,’ in such a tasteful, broad and wistful manner, as called forth a hearty encore, to which this lady responded by giving a gay little song, entitled ‘Happy Maid of Areadle,’ with exceeding spirit.

 

These pieces were followed by Lord Mornington’s fine quartette for mixed voices, ‘Here in Cool Grot;’ Tour’s song, ‘The Sea Hath its Pearls,’ given with breadth and vigor by Mr. Beckett, and encored; in response to which the dashing ‘Yeoman’s Wedding Song,’ by Prince Ponitowski, was rendered by Mr. Beckett with so much spirit that a rapturous encore necessitated its repetition; Bishop’s exquisite glee for mixed quartette, ‘When Wearied Wretches’ was sung with fine expression and most delicate shading; the jubilant burst in the last verse on the lines, ‘Then Wake the Dacen,’ &c., and the touching plaintiveness of ‘Alas! the days have pass’d along,’ being simply the perfection of this style of singing. For an encore to this, there came ‘You Stole my Love,’ Macfarren’s lively little glee; and the concert was brought to a close with Evans’s sprightly quartet ‘Beauties, Have You Seen a Toy?’

 

These glees, it will be noticed, covered a wide range; yet the keen intelligence and nice appreciation brought to the work overtopped the many difficulties that lie in the way of good part singing. Rapid, yet clear enunciation, nice balancing of the voices, good taste in modulation, and faultless precision, crispness and attack, characterize the work of this young and enterprising club.

 

It is certainly a pleasure—in these days of so much meretricious work—to be able, conscientiously, to speak heartily, in praise of that which is earnest and unassuming. Such are these refined and intellectual entertainments about which one can and naught to cavil, which do not attempt clap-trap or sensational device of any kind, and which ought undoubtedly to commend themselves strongly to all art-lovers amongst us.”

Only briefly mentions this performance. First provides a history of glee and madrigal singing in Boston. 

 

“…we compliment our New York friends in the best terms when we say that their singing was so good that it revived our memory of the music and the method of our old club…”