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of Nor. 22, 1851.j $l)t Utaiiet. HI? i ^...
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D It M A I N Z E It. The musical world h...
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dDrgnraiiitintiB nf tlje $raple, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL. j^
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TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL CHARTER A...
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NATIONAL CHARTER ASSOCIATION. The Execut...
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Trumpet-Call (Theatrical) . As An Ol...
t ^ rfbre successful progress society made h ^ aret its choice of an opening Oratorio . We US r Vfore heard a body of « above ei g ht hundred " f rmers " engaged on a work so little worthy w ! ains bestowed . It may appear to some little h rt of sacrilege to speak thus of one of Handel ' s ks « but the wisest men have their feeble roments , and in writing Belshazzar Handel ' s ffel appears to have forsaken him . We have a ncentration of all the mannerisms and most objectionable peculiarities of the great composer with scarcely one redeeming point—one ray of that
insp iration , which is wont to shine forth so resplen-The libretto of Belshazzar is very far inferior to almost any other adopted by Handel . It abounds with frivolous and undignified verbiage . The arias are without sentiment , and the recitatives long , rambling , and discursive . The language of the recitatives appears particularly to have troubled the composer , who shifts about most unnaturally , scarcely succeeding in one happy inflexion . The imitative passage on the word "wallowing , " in the air " Behold the monstrous human beast ! " is the most vulear thing we ever yet met with . " Down among
the dead men " is perfectly classical beside it . The choruses are very inferiorto Handel's usually powerful emanations , though they were exceedingly well executed ; indeed , the general performance , so far as the society was concerned , was admirable . We cannot say as much for all the principals . Miss Birch sang more out of tune than usual ; Mr . Lawler would have done better if he had given the music a more attentive study ; Mr . Lockey , who can sing effectively , was unusually tame and spiritless ; Miss Dolby alone warmed the audience to enthusiasm . Her delicacy of Daniel ' s interpretation of the "handwriting on the wall" was the most effective piece of recitative delivered in the
hall for many a day . The band of the London Sacred Harmonic Society requires some additions , and it might be made more steady and generally effective . We * were pleased to observe , however , that it has succeeded in that which has not yet been achieved by the other Society : keeping down the instrumentation in accompanying the Solo voices . The Chorus also is unquestionably superior to its compeer . It is more steady in its intonation , and the leads are taken up with greater point and precision . May they both go on and prosper !
We suppose that there is some merit in dragging forward Belshazzar . Let it be fully accorded ; but let us at the same time hope that " duty " having been satisfied , this uncomfortable Oratorio may be permitted to retain an unobtrusive place on the shelves of the library .
Of Nor. 22, 1851.J $L)T Utaiiet. Hi? I ^...
of Nor . 22 , 1851 . j $ l ) t Utaiiet . HI ? i ^ rrTTTT ^^*^ Tifr ^ Tn—im—^ . _ _ _ " „ - . . __ . . _ _ . _ _ - . . _______^^__
D It M A I N Z E It. The Musical World H...
D It M A I N Z E It . The musical world has sustained a loss in the death of Dr . Joseph Mainzer , who expired at Manchester on the 18 th instant , after a long and painful illness . Dr . Mainzer was born at Treves in 1805 ; he received his education at the College of Troves , and at the age of twenty-one , he embraced the profession of engineer of the mines , and began his experience in the coalfields of Dutweiler and Sieltzbach . The
fati gues of the life of practical engineer were too severe for his bodily strength , and he was obliged to relinquish that profession and look out for another career . Whilst slowly recovering his health , his early love of music returned to him , ^ < l he determined to devote his life to it . He conceived the idea of popularizing the method of teaching music and udapting it us a mode of civilization to the lower clauses . IJi »
ystem was quite distinct from the method ° f Wilhelm , which Mr . llulluh has introduced 80 successfull y in England . To qualify himself to car ry out hia cherished idea Dr . Mainzer studied under several of the most eminent masters of that tune— Muck , had received the traditions of Kebas"aii Bach , and afterwards the Abbe" Stadler . ' . At the end of two years' residence in Rome Uc re turned to his native place and followed < --- ¦•» vJ »» \ , yp J 11 O Iltltl Vv > WKttli «*!*** * wil \/ f » v <« Ul
* vocation as u teacher . Subsequently he Wei » t to Paris where ho opened a gratuitous course of instruction in vocal music , to the JJ > rkiiien of Paris at the Tlace do l'Estrapude . 8 » oon numbered more than two thousand pupils , . I , ' y gathered from tho working classes . ' 1 hoy ii fl <) l 0 < * biuj , and ho exorcised an absolute d J » uenco over thcN « unquiet spirits . Ho was too to tl '" 1 ''* l ° '" " nrt t () care ** lK ) utlcal influence or Pro ° ^ U 8 'll * f n'H I ) ower * ° an y unu beyond tho gre « B of his pupils in singing . Nevertheless ,
his popularity amongst the " dangerous classes ° gave umbrage to the French police , who politely invited him to close his school . He had , of course , no alternative but compliance . Some time subsesequently be came over to England ; where he was free to succeed as well as he could—but very cheap or gratuitous instruction is not popular here , people are inclined to suspect what they do not pay forand Mainzer ' s success was not remarkable . In
1844 he was invited to Edinburgh , where he effected a footing for his method of class singing . He subsequently went to Manchester where he laboured with great success to the period of his illness in November last , and which proved fatal after eleven months of unremitting suffering . Dr . Mainzer was remarkable for the purity and simplicity of his private life , his great disinterestedness and devotion to his art .
To make money was not his object , and it is to be feared that he has not even left a competence to his widow . His works , in all styles of composition , are numerous . The best are those of a religious nature—his elementary works are good , but he succeeded best in religious music .
Ddrgnraiiitintib Nf Tlje $Raple, Political And Social. J^
dDrgnra ^ tintiB of tlje ^ raple , POLITICAL AND SOCIAL . j ^
To The Members Of The National Charter A...
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL CHARTER ASSOCIATION . Hammersmith , November 20 , 1851 . Fellow Chartists , —You are summoned to the task of electing a new Executive , and before any among you may think of my name , I should like you to understand my actual position with respect to the objects of our Association . I will leave it to my colleagues in the Executive , and to yourselves , to judge whether I have failed to act with the majority of that body whenever a corporate action was needed ; or to say whether I have at all taken a separate position . In cases of differing opinion I have maintained my own view Btrongly until a vote was takeTi , and have then acted with the whole Executive . My bad health , and busy life have at times prevented my attendance at your board ; when absent I have more than once been so in the service of the People . A report was circulated recently that I had resigned . I deliberately resolved not to resign , precisely because our movement was not proceeding satisfactorily , and I thought that , at such a time , resignation would be desertion . If I were to resign , it would damage the cause . The eame evil result would not follow if you were to abstain from electing me . For that reason I would prefer dismissal to resignation .
I am bound to declare , however , that I am not satisfied with the course taken by the Executive as a whole . The Executive adopted the draft which I laid before it as a preliminary programme for the Convention ; I followed that up with a draft to be adopted by the Convention ; but the Committee preferred the draft which was ultimately adopted . The difference between the two drafts was this : —the one adopted was long , and laid down many propositions not to be carried out forthwith ; mine was short , proposed a few things to be done , and would have set our Association in active movement .
I desire that our Association should make its utility felt by tho working classes in obtaining for them , as speedily as possible , material improvements in their condition , and especially , for thepoorest among them , right of labour with a fair subsistence in return . I was first known to you us a Communist ; such I remain ; and as such I desire to lose not a day that can bo employed in promoting tho right of the ' People to fair subsistence , in return for labour , guaranteed on the land and property of the country . I have explained this in my letters on " Social lie form "; but I mention the point here , in order that you may know the ground on which I shall continue to act if you reelect me .
If you disapprove of that ground , I would advise you not to reeled me , hut to elect a . man who hol < ln more Htrfctly such views aw you can HJinetion . If you do reeled me , 1 shall not question the colleagues whom you may appoint , nor discontinue the endeavour to act in unison with the body of the Executive ; but if you do approve of the ground which I have declared , Hu ( Ilcu : ntly to reelcut me , pardon mo if I say that it would be denirable for you to Kolect colleagues who could act on the same ground of union between political and social reformers .
In any case , let mo thank you for tho confidence you have already reported in me ; and let me annum you that my most active exertions will continue to promote , on thft one hand , tho political power and iniitorinl improvement of the ; working cIuhrcb , and on tho other , that generous elevation of policy , without which no cIuhb can obtain any power worth having . Your servant , Thornton IIujnt .
National Charter Association. The Execut...
NATIONAL CHARTER ASSOCIATION . The Executive Committee of this body held their usual weekly meeting on Wednesday evening last . Present—Messrs . Arnott , Grassby , Hunt , Jones , and Milne . & . J . Harney , being in the country , was absent , as were also Messrs . Holyoake , Le Blond , and O'Connor . James Grassby was called to the chair . The correspondence received was read . The Secretary called the attention of the Committee
to the meeting of the-Metropolitan Chartists , to be held in the Literary Institution , Leicester-place , Little Saffron-hill , Ray-street , Clerkenwell , on Sunday afternoon , November 23 . The business to be laid before the said meeting was discussed , and the members present expressed their intention to attend . John Arnott then read , and on the motion of Messrs . Milne and Hunt , the following was adopted ( Ernest Jones dissenting from one portion thereof ) as the
Address of the Executive Committee of the National Charter Association to the Chaetists . Brother Democrats , —The time has now arrived when it is our duty to return to you the trust which you have placed in our hands ; and in so doing we consider it necessary to render you a brief account of our stewardship . On accepting the duties imposed on us , we found the movement surrounded by difficulties , ¦ which we at once did our utmost to remove by calling a general Convention ; where differences of opinion might be discussed , and an unity of action effected . The Convention met
—men of intelligence and business habits from all parts of the country assembled—great social truths were ably debated ; and the result was the adoption of a programme , which was admitted ( even by many opponents ) to be of such a temperate and practical character , that its equal had never before emanated from any Chartist Convention . Relative to the many thousand copies of that programme which were printed , and the excitement caused in the daily , weekly , and foreign press , you are already cognizant ; therefore we shall only add , that no document ( the Charter itself excepted ) issued by theChartest body ever created so much public attention a « the programme in question .
What the Convention agreed to we have , to the best of our ability , endeavoured to carry out . From its resolves we have never swerved . While some of us may hold different opinions relative to others advocating a lesser measure of reform , still we emphatically assert ( though averments to the contrary have been published ) that never , in our collective or official capacity , has the most distant desire been expressed of committing you to any other course than that for which , we were elected . We have kept the organization intact . We have not , nor would , mislead or deceive you .
During this year 6000 cards of membership have been issued—many new localities have been formed—lectures have been delivered—public meetings held—and thousands of addresses , tracts , and circular 3 have been distributed . To those who ask , " Whnt have you done ?" ( it is a general rule that those who are the last to give are the first to ask this question , ) we candidly reply , that we have done all that you have enabled us to do . In fact , taking into consideration the unusual political apathy—the all-absorbing influence of the " Great National Holiday "—and many other obstacles which we have had to struggle against , we feel a conscious satisfaction that we have not damaged the cause entrusted to our care ; but , on the contrary , that we have devoted the means at our disposal to place the movement on a healthy , sound , and intellectual basis .
Although the present aspect of Chartism is very far from being what we would desire ( because petty jealousies and personal ambition still throw their withering influences around it ) , yet we feel assured that the mind of the people is rapidly tending towards democracy—that intelligence ia progressing—and that prejudice to our principles is fast dying away . We are confident that the elements exist for a great and mighty movement , and . that the only requisite for its success is a wise , united , an < l energetic action . You arc now called on to nominate and elect nine fit
and proper persons to direot your movement through the ensuing year—a period which probably will be the most eventful in the history of the world . Your Executive may bo a mere shadow or nonentity to-day , but circumstances of such a momentous character may ere long aribo that would place it in a highly prominent and responsible position ; therefore , it is of tho greatest importance that you elect " good , true , and tried men . " llefoie you proceed to exercise your Builrages we beg of you to consider seriously what you are about , and if you are not prepared to support an Executive , not to elect Jiut
one . , though wo have thought it our duty thua to ndvise you , we , however , trust that , you will at once resolve to lay aside all personal feeling , and enter into this important work with all the energy you can coniiniind—Unit . in Executive will be elected ( by many thoumndo ) on whom you may rely , and that you will determine to support it , as you must be equally uwuro with ourselves that for the organization to be now broken up , would be the most iHhuhUouh event that could powsibly happen to the cuuho of democracy . Signed on behalf of the Committee , J . Aknott , ( jienurul Secrotury .
The Hecrotary having'been denirud to ihniiu tho following instructions , tho Committco adjourned to Wednesday evening , November 20 : ¦ -- ¦ Inhtjuhjtionh . —Notice ia hereby Kiveii ( in accordance with the Kuleu ) thut all localities are miucHted to nominate nine iteruoim , «¦<> »< it " H Uli unpuid ( Secretary ex-Oepted ) Kxecuiivii Couunittoo , for tho ennuing ye « j uucli persona having been bonu iide members o | &• Association for nt Icuttt nix montha . The nomination ^ to
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 22, 1851, page 17, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_22111851/page/17/
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