A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Vocal Society, The

VOCAL SOCIETY, THE. Established 1832 'to present the vocal music of the English school, both ancient and modern, including that of the church, the chamber, and the theatre, with the addition of foreign compositions of excellence,' the promoters of the society urging among other reasons in favour of their enterprise, not only that the compositions of native musicians were at the time nearly banished from the concerts of the metropolis, but that the regulations of the existing societies for the cultivation of glee-singing precluded the presence of ladies, and were attended with considerable expense wholly unconnected with their musical objects. In other words, the Society aimed at giving concerts of English vocal solos and part-music. Its first programme at the King's Concert Rooms, Hanover Square, on Monday, Jan. 7, 1833, included the sestetto and chorus from Webbe's 'Ode to St. Cecilia'; Benet's madrigal, 'All creatures now'; Attwood's glee, 'In this fair vale'; Cooke's glee, 'Deh dove'; Bishop's serenade, 'Sleep, gentle lady'; Webbe's catch, 'Would you know'; solos from Haydn, Hummel, Mozart, and Purcell, and an instrumental quintet of Beethoven's. Mr. T. Cooke was leader; at the organ and pianoforte were Messrs. Turle, Goss, and Horncastle; and the vocalists included Miss Clara Novello, Mrs. Bishop, Miss George, and Messrs. Bennett, Parry, Phillips, Hobbs, and Braham. The affairs of the Society at its commencement were managed by a committee consisting of Messrs. Bellamy, T. Cooke, Horncastle, Hawkins, C. Taylor, E. Taylor, and Turle. The original intention of presenting mainly English music was departed from in the first year of the Society's existence, for we find in its programmes the names of Palestrina, Pergolesi, Bononcini, Beethoven, Mozart, and other foreign composers, and from a notice of the last concert given in 1838 we learn that, 'with the exception of three glees and a madrigal, the performance consisted entirely of the works of foreign artists.' In 1837 the Society gave the first performance in this country of Spohr's oratorio, 'The Crucifixion,' with Mrs. Bishop, Mrs. Seguin, Miss Hawes, and Mr. Balfe as principal vocalists, and Mr. Turle at the organ. On another occasion Beethoven's Choral Fantasia was performed, with Mrs. Anderson at the piano.

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