LONDON CHAT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2085, 8 February 1894, Page 51

LONDON CHAT.

(By Oub Special Coeeespondent.)

30 and 31 Fleet street, London, December 8. winter. . That winter is fairly on us at last there can be no doubt whatever. A thermometrical reading of 15 degrees — 17 degrees below freezing point— absolutely destroys all scepticism on the point. December has come in with some very sharp frosts. Last Sunday the thermometer not only went down to 15 degrees at night, but obstinately refused to rise above 34 degrees all day. This to unaccustomed New Zealandera ia rather " nippy," and converts one's nose and ears into personal encumbrances. There are such things as bronchitis and pneumonia to be reckoned with, as some New Zealand visitors have already found to their cost and disgust. Still it is gloriouc, bracing weather for the robust. There is a sturdy, invigorating ring about the ironbound soil which has something national and John Bullish about it. And really, with cosy thick-walled houses and warm clothing one does not feel the cold more severely than a much lees frigid temperature in a colonial wooden " matchbox." November was a splendid autumn month. Only one fog occurred, and that but for a few hours in the morning, and even then it was by no means bad. Certainly it never approached the famous "pea-soup" stage of density which is so properly dreaded by Londoners-, and which does pretty well bring the world to a standstill while it lasts.

There has been no snow, bar a few flakes, since the great storm of November 18 and 19, nor have any serious gales visited us since tbat terrible meteorologic outburst, which proves to have been the most disastrous in its destruction of life and property of any tempest in English historic records. That sounds a " large order," but unhappily there is no doubt as to the fact.

Coal has not yet dropped to normal rateß. A few days ago it fell within 2s of former prices, but then it went up two or three shillings, and now there are uneasy rumours of fresh complications which may seriously affect the market. This is bad for everybody, bub worst of all for the London poor, whose sufferings in a long spell of cold weather are bitter in the extreme. It is bad. too, for trade, which depends in its manufacturing branch for cheap coal as a necessity of continued existence. And a check to trade Eends its electric shock far and wide through every ramification of society. Thus is still further delayed the revival so long and hopefully looked forward to. Unhappily, the effect of every check seems to be the permanent diversion of some part to foreign shores. Those shortsighted workmen who, led by ignorant, or unscrupulous, or self-interested agitators, are steadily persisting in making English manufactures more and more nearly impossible, will wake up one day to find that though they may have gained all that they strove for, they have at the same time lost all employment.

MUSICAL.

A few nights ago I had the privilege of being present at what is admitted to be one of the finest performances of Handel's choral masterpiece, •• Israel in Egypt," ever given. It was at the Albert Hall, by the Royal Choral Society, with a chorus of 1000 voices and an orchestra of 200 instruments under the baton of Sir Joseph Barnby. I need not dilate upon the stupendous impressivenecs of those mighty choruses in that vast buildirg, or tell of the enthusiastic reception of the " Hailstone chorus " and^ " Ihe horse and his rider" — that is of course. But I have come " local colouring " to add.

The last time I Ind previously listened to "Israel in Egyjfc" wes at tfce New Zealand

Festival in 1888. On that oocasion I incurred the scorn of some who can see no good except abroad by asserting that people who imagined, as some did, that those wondrous choruses would be infinitely more impressive as sung by a thousand voices in the Albert Hall or by 3000 in the Crystal Palace, would find thenlselves greatly disappointed, t had heard these things, and yet I was greatly struck by the sonorous grandeur of the New Zealand Festival chorus singing at Wellington in 1888, alike in " Israel " and in the " Elijah." So was Santley as to the latter work a year or two later. I pointed out that the choruses in most cases could not have been sung with greater precision, and that the additional volume obtained by 10 or 20 times the number of voices would be almost if not entirely swallowed up by the superior size of the buildings in which the bigger choirs sang.

Now I observed that point very carefully the other night, and I had a New Zealand lady with me who is also a very experienced musician and critic. We both agreed that while in certain respects the Albert Hall choral singing might be slightly better, yet that the general effect was little if at all more impressive as a whole than were the performances of the New Zealand Festival choir. I dare say the same thing might be said of the Dunedin Exhibition choir and of various Christchurch and Auckland performances, but I did not hear them and can only compare what I did hear.

I venture to offer these remarks as I am aware that people who love to air their musical knowledge — often very limited — are apt to disparage local efforts, and to assert that such choral singing as can be heard in New Zealand is "of. course" very poor compared with what you hear in Europe. I deny this. I admit the numerical superiority of the elder countries, but then the buildings are proportionately larger, so you obtain but little more effect in respect to mere Volume. I assert from personal knowledge and comparison that the best choral singing in New Zealand is quite tip to the average mark of choral singing in England, just as the Chrißtchurch Cathedral choir is fully up to the average of several English cathedral choirs, though I admit nob of all.

Where the Royal Choral Society did shine pre- eminently the other night was in the exquisite finish of their work ; especially in the wonderful distinctness of their articulation, and the perfection with which every concluding consonant was enunciated. All those thousand singers pronounced as one voice. Their pianissimo was cs delicate as their forte was tremendous. One point deserves special notice : it will at least interest all musical readers.

It has long been Sir Joseph Barnby's practice to treat the duet for two baritones "The Lord is a man of war " as a double chorus for male voices. On this occasion it was sung by 4-00 men, tenors and basses. Don't misunderstand this. The tenors did not take the " first " and the basses the " second." No ; all the tenors and basses on one side — those of one of the two choirs — sang the first part in unison \ all those on the other side — in the other choir — sang the second part. It was done just in the same way as the double mixed-voice choruses. The effect was superb. Now, as a mere duet for two single voices, that movement is by no means the strongest in the work. It has even been condemned as unworthy of its associations. But as thus magnified it was most striking. New Zealand singers will be interested to know that a double " turn " was introduced in the last-but-two bar of this movement. The double ornament was executed by those 400 male voices with as perfect neatness and finiah as if it had been done by a single cultured vocalist. That was a feat which did surprise me ! Another "stroke" of effectiveness was the amazing contrast between the fortissimo and pianissimo obtained by those thoueand voices in "He rebuked the Red Sea." The staccato singing of " It was dried up " was a marvel of perfection for 1000 voices singing pianissimo. When "Israel" was done at the New Zealand Festival the conductor found it absolutely impossible to prevent the soprano singers from taking F natural in lieu of F sharp in bar eight (first choir) and bar 10 (second choir) of "Thy right hand, O Lord." He cured this mistake in rehearsal, but it recurred at the performance. Now, would you have believed it, every soprano in that huge body at the Albert Hall made that same mistake in each instance. It was so. I was carefully on the watch, and took a special note of the fact for the cpmfort of my New Zealand friends. But that was the sole blemish.

Everybody has read and heard how superbly Edward Lloyd sings (as Sims Reeves used to sing) the one great solo of the work, "The enemy said." It was a veritable masterpiece of vocalisation. I never heard such an uproar of applause and of positive cheering from the 8000 listeners as greeted the great tenor when he had finished. Of course he had to repeat it. By the way, Mr Lloyd^sang the last two notes (A and G) and also the second G in bar 80 an octave higher than written. I record this for the information of New Zealand tenors. The other solos and duets in this work are confessedly weak, and call for no comment.

The new Queen's Hall, Langham place, was formally "opened" last Saturday night by a very good performance of Mendelssohn's " Lobgesang," in which Madame Albani and Mr Edward Lloyd carried off chief honours, the latter particularly in the famous "Watchman " scene. That too was very finely done the next day by a rising young tenor, Herbert Grover, during a most perfect presentation of the work by the renowned choir of St. Andrew's, Wells street, the effect of the unaccompanit d soprano phrase "The night is departing "by that wonderful boy Lawrence being absolutely electrifying. Crowds still wait outside that church in all weathers for the opening of the doors, just as was the case in the height of the summer season. People in London do like really good things ! And the " Sunday pops" are good !

The Monday and Saturday "pops" and the symphony concerts are in full swing-, but do not call for any special notice. Lady Hallo is playing as finely as ever. So is tbe veteran 'cellist Piatti, who has just reappeared. The usual Advent performance of Spohr's "Last Judgment " was given in St. Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday eveniDg, and drew the usual cru'-h, many thousands waiting in the cathedral from 1 or 2 o'clock in the day until 7 p.m., the appointed hour. Who says that the English are an unmusical people ?

AHT AND LITEHATURE.

There is not much to chronicle this week in respect of art. The winter exhibitions of the respective Royal Societies of British Artists and of Painters in Water Colours are now open and are well attended. So are a host of minor art exhibitions.

In literature there is the customary activity, but no work of an "epoch-making" character bas appeared of late. Some interest has attached to the publication by Mr John Murray of a very readable and pleasantly-written memoir of the late Duke of Clarence. It has been written under the express authority of the Prince of Wales by Mr J. S. Vincent, and gives what seems to be a thoroughly fair and impartial descript'on of the character, capacity, and ca r eer of the deceaaed Prince, as well as some graphic woid-sketches of incidents in his life.

An agreeable feature of this book is its freedom from the naueeous and fulsome flattery too

often heaped upon Royal subjects of memoirs. Speaking of Prince Edward's intellect Mr Vincent Bays ! "It would be absurd to claim for him anything in the nature of genius. The most Unremitting study would not have enabled him to become Senior Wrangler at Cambridge, or to carry off the Ireland scholarship at Oxford. . . It is doubtful whether he could have written a copy of Latin Verses," But on the other hand the gentle and affectionate nature of the young Prince is lovingly r'epicted. His affection was " tenacious in the extreme." He " never forgot the attendants of his boyhood "or the friends of later years. He " had the rare gift of never forgetting those whom he had once met, and of remembering the right subjects on which to converss with them." Referring to the Prince's schooldays lender Mr Dal ton, Mr Vincent only says that tiS6 material upon which that gentleman had to work " was, on tbe whole, promising." There is no hysteric exaggeration here ! He adds : " Of natural ability and energy Prince George had the larger share : Prince Albert Victor was, of the two, the more slow in development of mind." Once the Prince of Wales expressed to Mr Dalton his regret that his eldest son did not advance so quickly as he would wish. Mr Dalton replied that the Prince of Wales himself as a boy had been "so slow to develop that his father had despaired — quite needlessly, as the event had shown — of his attaining cultivated manhood."

I think the book will be read with a good deal of interest in the colony as affording a glimpse of tbe "inner life ;) of Royalty, and a fair character-picture of the young Prince who was so prematurely snatched away from all his honours and dignities by the hand of remorseless Death.

Of his successor in these dignities and in the affections of his erstwhile betrothed, there is nothing to chronicle specially this week. Gossip has let "the Yorks " alone of late, the only piece of tittle*tattle which has gone the rounds being a by-no-means-unfriendly rumour that sorhe time about next May — but I don't think I need go into details.

THE HARNESS CASE,

The Harness case — the prosecution for alleged electropathic frauds — still drags along. The only bright spot this week has been the cross-examination of one victim, a mesb irascible Indian officer, Colonel Brasyer, who, suffering from weakness in the loins, had sought electropathic aid, and had paid a 50-guinea cheque in return for the aid he did not get. The cross-examining counsel asked him if he was easily frightened. The witness nearly bounced out of the box. " Hang a drawn sword over my head, sir ! " shouted the fiery old colonel, " and see if I would flinch. I have had a naked sword in the hand of a native over my head ready to chop me down ! " Most listeners agreed with counsel's comment that it probably was "bad for the native."

When the presiding magistrate asked the witness to state explicitly what he paid the cheque for, Colonel Brasyer replied with great dignity (but I am sorry to say amid loud laughter), " I must refer you to my solicitors ! " He remarked pathetically that the only "re* lief " he got was the relief of his pockets from a good deal of money.

But the climax was reached when that wicked counsel, Mr Avory, asked the witness if he told the electropathic people that he was thinking of getting married. " What ! " roared the colonel, in a frenzy of rage. "Never! Certainly not ! It is a gross libel upon me ! " But then Mr Avory asked if the witness did, as a matter of fact, contemplate matrimony. At this last insult, the colonel very nearly bolted right out of the box at Mr Avory 's throat. " Idiotic ! "he positively shrieked. " Idiotic ! Are you here to question me about my private affairs ? Don't try to bully me, sir ! " thundered the colonel. " Don't bully me ! " Apparently the colonel imagined the query to have reference to certain ladies in particular, for, ia reply to a soothing question from the other side, he said, " I had no intention of marrying the girl I had dandled on my knee, or her mother, who had buried her second husband."

The question being still pressed, I fear in malicious amusement, the colonel vociferated "No! no! no !" in accents so stentorian that they almost took the roof off the court, and then after telling the counsel that he was asking such ridiculous questions that he (witness) would not even try to answer them, this unintentionally comic colonel again referred the court to his solicitor for any farther information they desired about him, and observed indignantly as he left the box that they " might just as well ask him whether he contemplated a robbery or murder while they were about it!"

The Harness electropathic establishment in Oxford btreet is daily the resort of anxious crowds who gaze in through the vast plateglass windows at the variety of electropathic implements on view within. Most of the spectators have an amused grin on their faces. Some, however, shake their heads sagely, evidently still believing " there is something in it." I cannot help suspecting that much difficulty will be found in procuring a conviction, as was the case with that even worse affair of the so-called "Indian oculists." It is not easy to prove legal fraud in these cases.

But at any rate the exposure will do good. Some fools may still be taken in, but the majority of the public, and I sincerely trust all my New Zealand readers, will now be on their guard against electropathists, Indian oculists, and other humbugs of the like order. At all events they ought to be !