HISTORY OF MENDELSSOHN'S "ELIJAH."
for men's voices.* Master Cummings, as he was then, sat in the front row of the altos, and his enthusiastic singing attracted the notice of Mendels- sohn, who asked the Temple chorister his name, which he wrote on one of his (Mendelssohn's) visiting cards, and gave to the youthful singer.
The first London performance was not without some humour. The Times said : " Mr. Perry, the leader, was constantly beating time with his fiddle- stick in such a manner as to obstruct tlje views of the Conductor and confuse the attention of the instrumentalists." t A Frenchman, seated on the orchestra behind the chorus, was so excited with the performance that, at the close, he effusively embraced Mendelssohn and tried to kiss him !
Three other performances were given in Exeter Hall, and under the same auspices, on the 23rd, 28th, and 30th of the same month (April), and were conducted by Mendelssohn. These four concerts
- The alto part in oratorio choruses was always sung in England
by men's voices (counter-tenors). It was not till the following year (1S48) that some ladies were admitted into the alto division of the chorus at the Sacred Harmonic Society. The change was made when Costa began his reign as Conductor of the Society. Costa introduced a similar innovation at the Birmingham Festival of 1S49, the first he conducted, and the first after the production of " Elijah." The male altos, however, g-reatly predominated on that occasion. The numbers were — ladies, 17 ; gentlemen, 59. At this Festival Mario sang " Then shall the righteous," which he finished on the upper A flat !
t Mr. George Perry ("leader" of the Sacred Harmonip Society from its foundation in 1832) was also the composer of an oratorio, entitled " Elijah, and the Priests of Baal," which was first performed at the Concert Room, St. George's Bridge, Norwich, on March 12, 1819.
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