Page:Victoria, with a description of its principal cities, Melbourne and Geelong.djvu/240

 down the house; and obtained the first encore of the evening. We cannot agree in considering this composition as a mere example of florid execution. It possesses some of the highest characteristics as regards conception and expression, and has for many years been held in great esteem by the severest critics. The style in which Madame Bishop gave this piece and the Inflammatus in the "Stabat Mater" at once proved her claims to hold a position unattained by her predecessor, who utterly failed to divest herself of theatrical art while attempting the more arduous interpretation of "sacred" composition. We must not omit a tribute of praise to M. Lundberg for his excellent obligato accompaniment to the "Gratias."

Mr. S. Nelson's "Benedictus," composed in Australia, and sung for the first time at this concert, appears to possess considerable merit, but we prefer to hear it again before saying more of its claims, except that the father was evidently sacrificed to the daughter, and the composition thereby rendered much less effective than it would have been had a more perfect singer taken the place of the lady alluded to.

The second part of the concert, consisting of the greater portion of Rossini's "Stabat Mater," was decidedly the most satisfactory, so far as the principals were concerned. M. Laglaise, by the pathos and power which he threw into the Cujus Animam, seemed to excel even more in sacred music than in opera, and this and Guglielmi's air were the gems of the evening. Mr. Howson was also more successful in the Pro peccatis; and Mrs. Testar, in Fac ut portem, almost obtained an encore. Madame Bishop achieved a triumph in the Inflammatus, as we have said above, and the studied and vigorous support which she received from the chorus in this grand air reflected more credit upon them than any other part of the programme. The unaccompanied quartette Quando corpus, and the final Amen chorus brought the concert to a close, with great satisfaction to the choice spirits who had braved the elements (including mud) to encourage this most deserving effort to elevate and improve the taste of our Victorian musical public. The band, as a whole,