result: "in the Holy Land, and have won the victory." It is evident that the composer could have nothing here in view but to make what he thought the best disposition of his musical passages, without any regard whatever to the meaning of the words. There seems indeed almost a studied inattention to any thing of the sort. The mere narrative parts, which are surely the more proper for the chorus, such as "the Warder blew his horn," that " he looked from the tower on high," that "the Lord of the Castle descended to meet the Knight," are given as solos, while every speech of the Warder and the Lord of the Castle (the Knight is very properly permitted to tell his own story) is sung in chorus.

If then it be found, that there is no composer of eminence, who has confined himself within the limits contended for, will it not be justly concluded that either from the paucity of poetical production, or from some other cause, the object at which I aim is impossible to be attained, and that to attempt it is to pursue a shadow, at the hazard of losing the substance? With such a mass of authority against me, I should be presumptuous indeed were I to dogmatize on the subject. I must, however, be permitted to say for myself, that I never listen to music in which there is this departure from dramatic propriety, without feeling my satisfaction greatly diminished. It is for this reason that I have never been able to reconcile myself to harmonized airs. The pleasure which a beautiful combination of air and harmony is calculated to afford is lost on me, when I perceive that sense is wholly sacrificed to sound. Of this I lately experienced a striking proof from the harmonized "Rose of the Valley." From the effect produced by a union of melody and harmony, so elegantly conceived and so exquisitely performed, it was impossible to withhold admiration; and while I knew nothing of the words, my satisfaction was complete. But when I found that Miss TRAVIS, and MESSRS. KNYVETT, VAUGHAN, and BELLAMY, jointly agreed in the same determination and in the same assertion: “By the Rose of the Valley I picture my heart," I could not be insensible to the absurdity, My concern, however, in this instance was not extremely pungent, since the words themselves are too nearly allied to the "true no meaning," to excite any very lively interest in their be half-their best possible recommendation as the subject of a harmonized air.

I am well aware that upon the principle for which I contend, it

would have been impossible to employ in glees, whose very essence seems to consist in their being choral, a very large proportion of the poetry which has been selected for that purpose. From the success, however, which has attended the observance of the rule, in those instances where it has been complied with, I cannot but think that were the subject once generally attended to, such poetry might be found or provided as would allow full scope to the genius of the composer, without compelling him, in opposition to every dictate of common sense, to declare in chorus the private and personal emotions of individual feeling. It is not an inconsistency of the same kind, when that which from its general nature might be given to the chorus collectively, is confined to one of the number, though perhaps if it were only for the sake of distinction, this should be for the most part avoided.

I cannot, Sir, deny myself the pleasure of giving you a short account of a most beautiful and impressive glee from the poetry of WALTER SCOTT, in which this preservation of character has been attended to. It is the production of a lady whose power in music is well known; a power which, whether exemplified by her performance or in composition, is clearly and largely derived from that principium et fons, which, according to HORACE, is the true and legitimate source of all excellence.

The words of SCOTT are as follow, which I shall give to the persons of the poem, according to the arrangement observed in the glee:

Chorus.

O listen, listen, ladies gay,

No haughty feat of arms we tell;

Soft is the note and sad the lay,

That mourn the lovely Rosabelle.

One of the Chorus.

Moor, moor the barge, ye gallant crew,

And gentle lady deign to stay,

Rest thee in Castle Ravensheuch,

Nor tempt the stormy firth to day.

*The liberty has been taken of changing I into we.

Rosabelle.

"Tis not because Lord Lindesay's heir,
To night at Roslin leads the ball;
But that my lady mother there,
Sits lonely in her castle hall.

One of the Chorus.

Last night the gifted seer did view,
A wet shroud swathed round lady gay,
Then stay thee Fair in Ravensheuch,
Why cross the gloomy firth to day?

Rosabelle.

'Tis not because the ring they ride,
And Lindesay at the ring rides well,
But that my sire the wine will chide,
If 'tis not filled by Rosabelle.

Chorus.

O'er Roslin all the dreary night,
A wondrous blaze was seen to gleam,
"Twas broader than the watch-fire light,
And redder than the bright moon-beam;
Blazed battlement and turret high,
Blazed every rose-carved buttress fair,
So still they blaze when fate is nigh
The lordly line of high St. Clair.
There are twenty of Roslin's barons bold,
.Lie buried within that proud chapelle,
Each one the holy vault doth hold,
But the sea holds lovely Rosabelle.
And each St. Clair was buried there,

With candle, with book, and with knell,

But the sea caves rung, and the wild winds sung

The dirge of lovely Rosabelle.

Is it possible to attend to the above judicious selection of verses from SCOTT's beautiful poem, and to the assignment of the parts, without anticipating the horror one should feel at finding it set in the common way, without any attention to persons or character?—

CALLCOTT has, I believe, set the same, or nearly the same selection, but with what success I am ignorant, as I am not acquainted with the glee. It may be fairly presumed, that in melody and harmony he must be at least equal; but I will venture to assert, that if he has been regardless of the distinction of character, his composition, as a whole, will, by every unprejudiced person, be thought inferior, and if indeed the legitimate end of the combined arts of poetry and music be the same as of poetry itself,-to give delight,-will be really so.

Having already made large demands on your patience and paper, I shall not enter into so full an account as I had purposed of those compositions which derive so great beauty from not violating the propriety for which I have been contending. They will be found chiefly amongst those where the poetry employed is purely descriptive, or, if of a moral or sentimental cast, is general in its application. An instance of the former is found in WEBBE's exquisite glees of "Swiftly from the mountain's brow," and "When winds breathe soft." STEVENS, in "Ye spotted snakes," has preserved this congruity; and many examples, where the effects of sound are considerably aided by the poetry, might be adduced.

I cannot conclude without mentioning one glee of singular excellence, and which certainly derives much of its power to charm from its strict observance of dramatic propriety. I allude to DR.CROTCH'S beautiful motett of " Methinks I hear the full celestial choir." When ever I have heard this exquisite performance, I have imagined in BARTLEMAN the rapt Penseroso of MILTON, listening with delight to the holy sounds which arrest his ear, and in this illusion I have found my own pleasure greatly enhanced.

If it were not for the convenience which some times attends the use of a signature, I should gladly spare myself the trouble of seeking one. A "neutral name," so offensive to MR. SHANDY, is my ambition; but I am unable to satisfy it-unless, happily, that which follows should be thought to deserve that character.

PHILOPREPON.

THE VOCAL CONCERTS.

WE commenced our records of the permanent sources of amusement,

from whence flow the continual knowledge of all that is established as well as what is hourly ingrafting in the theory or practice of mu sical science, by the history of the ANTIENT CONCERT, which, from all the circumstances that entitle such an institution to precedency and respect from the Royal Patronage it enjoys-from the rank of the Directors, the splendor of the names on the subscription list, and from its eminence as a performance, must so long as it remains, secure the first place and the highest regard, whenever it comes to be men tioned at all. We stepped a little out of the order of time in our notice of the PHILHARMONIC, and we did so, because we wished to exhibit at as early a stage of our publication as we could, the variety and scope of professional eminence in England, the devotion of professors to the objects of their art, and the determination they manifest to stimulate genius, and carry effort in every department to the nearest possible approximation to perfection. We now come to THE VOCAL CONCERTS, which we introduce by this slight preface, that we may shew our course has not been adopted with any view to imply a preference or any imaginary superiority. It would be an invidious task indeed to endeavour to graduate, to divide, and allot the quantum meruit of establishments, which in their several attributes lay just claim to all the praise, support, and remuneration that it is in the power of the highest ranks of English society to bestow.

The destruction of the the OPERA HOUSE by fire, was the origin of the VOCAL CONCERTS. That calamity happened in the year 1791, and the PANTHEON, in Oxford-street, was opened for the reception and performance of the company from the King's theatre. The late MR. HARRISON (whose memory as a singer will last so long as the remembrance of the most chaste, polished, and beautiful execution shall continue to be honoured among musicians,) and MR. KNYVETT, now organist of the King's chapel, issued proposals for a series of subscription concerts, and the list filled in a very few days. The con

*The success of these concerts is to be estimated in conjunction with the institutions which were on foot at the time of their first commencement, and