Mara was then in her prime, and the manner in which she sang ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth' was truly sublime. Her pathos, and simple majesty of expression, has never been approached since her time. She captivated by the force and richness of her tones; and what she wanted in embellishment, was more than compensated by the inspired passion with which she uttered the words; though these were often injured by her foreign accent. The fire, dignity, and tenderness of her vocal appeal could never be misunderstood—it was irresistible. Mr. Harrison, at that time, had not acquired his celebrity. His songs in the concert, I remember, were ‘ Pleasure my former ways resigning,’ and 'A rose from her bosom had strayed ’ (p. 157) ; and such was the paucity of concert-music at that time, that this song was hacked about at all the music-meetings for more than twenty years. Tasca was the first bass-singer from Italy who ventured to sing our language. He had a fine voice, and appeared the year before at the commemoration of Handel, where he sang, ‘Shall I in Mamre’s fertile plain,’ with that edge and terseness of voice, upon which, no doubt, Bartleman formed his style. The four Master Ashleys were boys about my own age, and what they did, filled me with surprise and delight, as I thought, some future day, I might possibly do the same. They performed a quartette, in which each took a shine in a solo. General Ashley, the oldest, who was about seventeen, played the first violin; John, the second; Richard, the tenor; and Charles, the bass. It was the first exhibition of four boys playing together with such accuracy, taste, and expression. << less