Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/239

 to complete it in time for the concert, a desideratum, the absence of which detracted very considerably from the general effect of the performances. The vocalists were ranged on each side of the stage, except the principals, who sat in front; and the instrumentalists reached back to the organ. In consequence, however, of the incline not being sufficiently great, the appearance in the lower part of the house of so large a number of performers was not so striking as it would otherwise have been. If, also, the stage, instead of being open at the top and wings, had been enclosed with drapery as it was during the promenade concerts, the ordinary orchestra covered over, and the principals brought before the foot-lights, and the orchestra thrown forward in proportion, the result, in the increase of the body of sound, would have been a great improvement. But it is hardly fair to suggest farther expense in preparations, while the public appear somewhat sparing of their patronage.

The first part of the concert consisted principally of selections from Handel's oratorio of "Samson." The performance of the overture calls for no particular remark, except that it was creditable to the combination of professionals and amateurs. The chorus, Then round about the Starry Throne, was very well executed—praise which we are sorry not to accord to Mr. F. Howson's Honour and Arms, a grand and difficult air, to which few can do justice, and which, on this occasion, failed to produce any effect, mainly from the singularly unimpassioned manner of the singer. Handel's Angels ever Bright and Fair was most expressively sung by Madame Bishop, who, however, did anything but add to the beautifully plaintive character of the melody by her peculiar delivery of the word "bright" each time it occurred. Owing to the organ being incomplete, Mrs. Testar could not sing Jerusalem, thou who killest the Prophets ("St. Paul"), which was to be regretted, because, in the first place, she has always been heard to great advantage in the Jerusalem, and in the second place, because she never appeared to less advantage than in Ye men of Gaza, which was substituted for it. In Guglielmi's "Gratias agimus," as we said above, Madame Bishop, by her admirable vocalization brought