James Douglas in Crystal Palace, Hyde Park, London - 1 May, 1851
from Account of life as a chorister in the nineteenth century, page 7:
I with some of the others sang at the opening of the Crystal Palace in 1851 [1 May] & it was one of the grandest sights I have ever seen. It was opened by the Queen & the Prince Consort [Victoria and Albert] & I can fancy I see them walking up the transept as I am writing this [in 1901]. Dr Elvey went with us but the music was conducted by Sir Geo. Smart, the organist of the Chapel Royal who was dressed in the gorgeous uniform as worn at that Chapel. I also saw Dr John Goss organist of St Pauls & Dr Turle of Westminster Abbey there.
James Douglas, Account of life as a chorister in the nineteenth century. In Choir Archives, St George's Chapel, Windsor, England, p. 7. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1524218211170 accessed: 25 April, 2024 (All extracts from the memoir are by kind permission of the writer's descendant Prof. James Wilkinson.)
Listeners
Listening to
hide composers| Ceremonial-- opening of Crystal Palace | performed by Sir George Smart, St George's Chapel Choir |
Experience Information
| Date/Time | 1 May, 1851 |
| Medium | live |
| Listening Environment | in the company of others, indoors, in public |
Notes
James Douglas recalls ‘Our organist [at St George's Chapel] was Dr Elvey afterwards Sir George Elvey who was very kind to me & who for many years after I left Windsor kept up a correspondence with me’ (p. 2).