Musical Reminiscences: Containing an Account of Italian Opera in England, From 1773. The Fourth Edition, Continued to the Present Time, and Including The Festival in Westminster Abbey.

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

271-2

text excerpt

The song last noticed [“O liberty”] used to be sung by Mrs. Billington. I do not know whether it was composed for a ’soprano or a tenor voice: if the latter, it should have been allotted to a more forcible singer, for it was feebly performed. So were the three next pieces; a recitative by Vaughan; a trio, “Disdainful of danger,” sung in double choir by six men without one powerful or distinguished voice; three better gifted in that respect would have made more effect; and the duet and chorus, “ Oh! never, never bow me down,” not ill sung by two of the fifteen. At last we were roused from all this insipidity by Braham in the song, “Sound an alarm,” a spirited air, which he gave with his usual energy. I shall make no further remarks on this part, except that the chorus, “See the conquering hero comes,” so familiar to every ear that every body can at least make an attempt to hum it, was the worst performed of any throughout the festival. It was begun out of tune by the semi-chorus, and never got quite right.

excerpt from 'Musical Reminiscences: Containing an Account of Italian Opera in England, From 1773. The Fourth Edition, Continued to the Present Time, and Including The Festival in Westminster Abbey.' pp. 271-2 (200 words)

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1448981870937