GREAT PEACE JUBILEE IN AMERICA.

Southland Times, Issue 1142, 6 October 1869, Page 3

GREAT PEACE JUBILEE IN AMERICA.

The grandest musical festival the world has ever witnessed lately took place at Boston, United States. The Jubilee was instituted to commemorate the return of peace to the United States, the restoration of its ancient liberties unimpaired, the national bonds of union unbroken, and the honor and credit of the nation unsullied. It was in June, 1867, that this great festival was first thought of, so that it has taken two years to perfect it. Architects were engaged for months in perfecting the plans for the building in which it was to be held. The structure was 500 ft by 300 ft, and took in the whole of St. James' park. To add to the convenience of the public, the city laid out new streets to the building, threw foot bridges across other streets, erected lamps, &c. One of these bridges was 250 ft long by 44ft wide, and roofed. Extra railroad tracks were put down, as well as gaspipes and water mains. The building inside was 100 ft high. The I roof comprised an area 170,500 square I feet. In this building the orchestra was 100 feet deep and 115 ft wide ; the north or front balcony was 125 ft deep, the side balconies were each 75ft deep, and the south balcony was 200 ft deep. The parquette was 150 ft in length by 175 ft in width. The building was illuminated by gas, for which purpose four miles of pipes were put up. The burners numbered 2400, and about 1400 cubit feet of gas were consumed each hour. Besides this, the building had an abundant supply of water,'a steam fire-engine, and a perfect fire department, together with 50 patent

fire extinguishers. Happily there was no occasion to use any of these. The inside of the whole of this building was elaborately decorated and frescoed. One of the devices was 300ffc long, and represented a colossal figure of the Angel of Peace, bearing an olive branch ; in the background teeming harvest fields betoken the return of plenty and the peaceful pursuits of husbandry, while in the foreground the torch of war lay extinguished, and the implements of discord were scattered and broken. The Press room was elegantly fitted up for the accommodation of the 300 editors and reporters who represented the Press from all parta of the country. The reporters' tables were 180 ft long, and at night were flooded with artificial light. As the hotel accommodation of Boston was not sufficient to entertain the crowds j of people, a bureau of accommodation < was formed, at whose disposal 3500 rooms were placed in private houses. All the surrounding towns were overrun with visitors, and extra trains had to depart hourly, to accommodate them. Before the opening of the concert tickets sold at the rate of 100,000 dols. a day, and it is estimated that on one day of tha performance the tickets must have sold for a quarter of million of dollars. And now we come to the talent employed upon this occasion, the instruments and the number of the performers. A grand chorus organ was built for the purpose. It had 1011 pipes, comprised in 13 speaking stops, and the wind pressure was 10 inches or 40001 b upon the reservoir. It proved to be a very powerful instrument. The grand chorus numbered 10,371, including 108 societies, i which came from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, Ohio, and Illinois. It was divided as follows : — Soprano, 3201 ; alto, 2546 ; tenor, 1071 ; and bass, 2653. The organization and drilling necessary to perfect this immense chorus can only be comprehended by those musicians who have undertaken the \ work. The grand orchestra numbered 1094 performers, from all parts of the United States and the Dominion. It was composed of the following instruments : — lls first violins, 100 second do, 65 violoncelloes, 65 violas, 85 contra basses, 9 flutes, 8 clarionets, 8 oboes, B bassoons, 13 horns, 8 trumpets, 9 trombones, 3 tubas, 10 drums — all for the select orchestra; or 594 instruments, of which 430 were strings, 32 reeds, 22 brass, and 10 percussion. The grand orchestra had 25 piccoloes and flutes, 10 E flat clarionets, 50 B flat do., 75 B flat alto horns, 75 B flat tenor horns, 50 tenor trombones, 25 bass do, 25 B flat barritones, 75 E flat bass tubas, 50 small drums, 25 bass drums, 10 cymbals, and 10 triangles, making 590 instruments. There waa also a large drum 8 feet in diameter, made for the occasion. In connexion with the other musical { attractions, it should be mentioned that there was a chorus of 100 anvils operated j on by the firemen of Boston, and that by an electric telegraph arrangement all the bells of the city and a park of artillery were under the control of the leader. Some of the choruses, as thus performed, were indescribably grand, and raised the audiences of 50,000 and 60,000 people to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. Then the crowd of 200,000 people who blocked up the streets would cheer to the echo, the audience would encore, and the national airs and grand choruses would have to be repeated. Thus for five days did the monster jubilee continue. To repeat even the programme would occupy a long space. The very sight of so large an audience in one room helped to increase the interest in the performances.