The establishment of a Choral Society in Newbury has evidently met a popular want, one indeed which for many years past has been frequently recognized. From time to time, under various conductors, professional and amateur, choral concerts have been given and oratorios performed, but the choruses thus temporarily got together have been disbanded when the affair was over. Still, there has existed a considerable amount of vocal talent in the town, ready to be called forth when occasion required, and to be permanently organized when an opportunity should present itself.

To some extent indeed this has been done in the Men’s Voices Choral Society conducted for some time by the Rev. C. A. Treherne, but on that gentleman leaving Newbury, the Society shortly afterwards fell through. Last autumn it was determined that an attempt should be made in the same direction, but for mixed voices, and a Choral Society properly constituted was set on foot. The name of Mr. Liddle, organist of Newbury Church, who undertook the post of conductor, proved a sufficient guarantee that the Society would be ably led, and almost at once about seventy or eighty members were enrolled, practices being thereupon held weekly on Monday evenings, as well as on Saturday afternoons, to meet the convenience of members residing in the country. While attributing to the high musical position held by Mr. Liddle, the chief element in the rapid growth of the Choral Society, the efforts put forth by its honorary officers ought not to be of overlooked. To Col. Carden, as chairman, and Mr. E. L. Staples, as honorary secretary, the Society is in particular indebted for its large and influential list of members, and indeed the Committee generally may be congratulated on the hearty and unsectarian support the Society has received from the musical public in Newbury.

The first Concerts of the Society, which took place on Tuesday, were devoted to the performance of Schubert’s “Song of Miriam” and Bennett’s “May Queen;” together with a few miscellaneous pieces. To add to the effect, orchestral accompaniments were given by members of the Newbury Amateur Orchestral Union, in most of the numbers on the programme.

The combined volume of sound, over 100 performers taking part, was at times too sonorous for the confined space of the Town Hall to do justice to, the result being that the voices were now and then less prominent than could have been desired. If on a future occasion the Corn Exchange can be utilized for a similar combined performance, the effect will probably be more satisfactory, and indeed admit of a larger band and chorus even than were gathered on the present occasion. Speaking of the performances generally, we may say that the execution of the choruses reflected great credit upon the members of the Society and their conductor. The time and attack were good, the light and shade highly effective, and the voices fairly well balanced. The conductor, Mr. Liddle, evidently has his chorus well in hand, and has trained them to good purpose. In his own composition, “A Lay of June,” given unaccompanied, the most delicate effects were perhaps discernible.

With reference to the Cantata, the Song of Miriam, (Schubert op. 136), which came first on the programme, the conductor, Mr. Liddle, drew up for the use of the audience the following graphic sketch of the music:—

This superb Cantata was written for voices with pianoforte accompaniment, to Grillparzer’s words, and subsequently scored for orchestra, by Lachner. It opens with a strongly rhythmical solo and chorus, descriptive of the mightiness of God. The following movement, “Out of Egypt as a shepherd guards his flock and shows the way” flows on with great smoothness, except where allusion is made to the floods, which “congealing at Thy blast, stand upright as crystall walls !“ Here the words are murmured rather a rapidly against a background of holding notes in the wind parts and the whole scene is brought before the hearer with intensely dramatic effect.

In the next allegro the awe-stricken Israelites see Pharaoh’s host in pursult and cry for help but a storm bursts upon the Egyptians, the hand of the “Lord In all his fury” “seizes them!” ” headlong rush the pent-up waves, and drowned are the captains and drowned the host.”

Next comes an Andantino movement, “Egypt’s king as lead sinks he down in the mighty flood,” the last two pages of which are a canon, two in one at the octave, the sopranos and altos taking the higher part and the tenors and basses the lower. The last movement is like the first with the addition of a fugue, “mighty is the Lord at all times, mightier hail we Him today.” It contains many offences against the laws of counterpoint, but is notwithstanding splendid in effect. It was the misfortune of the concert to be deprived at the last moment of the services of the professional soprano, who telegraphed her inability to attend, and left the conductor to enact seriously what has formed the title of a ludicrous sketch, “The Manager in a fix.” Happily Miss Dolton was prevailed upon to take the soprano music in the Song of Miriam at the morning concert. Though thus suddenly called upon, Miss Dolton was most successful in her efforts which will be remembered with gratitude, as they were received with manifest appreciation.

The soprano music in the May Queen was undertaken by Miss Pickthorn at the morning concert, and excellently did she succeed. Miss Pickthorn possesses indeed very considerable musical ability, and must be warmly complimented on her promptitude and skill. The other soloists were: Mrs. Blunt, contralto; Mr. Albert Jell, tenor; and Mr. Robert Grice, bass. At the evening concert Miss Knowles, of Windsor, was in attendance to take the place of Miss Fenna. The programme was also enriched by songs from Mr. Jell and Mr. Grice, the latter being warmly encored in his song “The Postilion.” There was also an instrumental movement from the Sextet, (Bennett). Mr. Hann, a violoncellist of acknowledged skill gave at each performance a most enjoyable solo, exhibiting a wonderful command of the instrument, and eliciting a peremptory encore. The Hall was filled at the evening concert.

In some minor details the performance would perhaps have profited by more adequate rehearsal of the combined band and chorus. The Newbury Choral Society has, however, reason to be congratulated on its first appearance In public, and it may now confidently be anticipated that both as regards the vocal and instrumental branches of the art, the town of Newbury will in future be worthily represented