NEWCASTLE'S MUSICAL HERITAGE AN INTRODUCTION By ...

to Handel Oratorios and I suspect the real reasons lay elsewhere. But the local
press was in sympathy with the festival organisers. They ran a piece which in
summary said that along with other admirers of the friendly and estimable
character of Mr Meredith and of his wonderful powers they were sorry that he
had suffered so considerably by an undertaking calculated to produce delight and
universal gratification.
The pecuniary failure of the 1796 Music Festival perhaps paralysed private
enterprise, or the exciting events connected with the long, weary Peninsular War
(between Wellington and Napoleon in the Iberian Peninsular) may have
engrossed all attention, but it was not until the year peace was proclaimed in
1814 that another venture was made – this time under the patronage of a
committee of influential noblemen and gentlemen. It was agreed that one fifth of
all the money taken during the festival was to be handed over to the funds of the
Newcastle General Infirmary. This whole event seemed to be well organised and
although the standard of the orchestra and the choral singing came in for some
criticism the singing of the two principal artists, Madame Catalani and Mr
Braham, was outstanding. Angelica Catalani dominated her period, in her early
years, as no other singer had done since Mara. She was a sensation at her
London debut in 1806, therefore, I think we can safely say that Newcastle heard
her at her best at the 1814 Festival. The local press reports are glowing but the
truth is she was of the old school and took great liberties with the composer’s
music adding trills whenever it suited her. She was a forceful woman and (for
political reasons) once told Napoleon to his face that she would not sing for him.
She eventually went into opera management, about which her husband said that
to run an opera house all that was needed was his wife and four or five puppets.
Her tenor on this occasion, John Braham, was very popular with English
audiences as a singer and a songwriter. He was born in London of Jewish
parentage and made his stage debut at the age of ten. In his time he was one of
the few singers this country had produced that could hold his own with the
Italians and was consequently a great favourite at Covent Garden. He became
so rich that he bought the London Colosseum and built the St James’ Theatre in
London, both unsuccessful speculations as it turned out. The usual formula was
followed throughout the festival with sacred music in church and secular in the
theatre. As a grand finale a ball was held in the Assembly Rooms, ‘undertaken at
the instance and for the benefit of the Chevalier de Valibregue’, who was none
other than the husband and business agent of Madame Catalani. Significant of
the times was a letter to the editor of the Newcastle Weekly Chronicle from an
outraged Timothy Plain, in response to a performance by a lady solo violinist,
Madame Gerbini. The irate Mr Plain said ‘It is unseemly as well as uncommon to
behold a female playing the violin and prejudice will operate, along with her other
defects, to prevent her retaining the good opinion of the public’. But in spite of the
Timothy Plains the festival was well attended and the receipts exceeded £2,300,
of which a clear fifth was given to the Newcastle Infirmary.
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