Chapter Three - 1806 – 1807

Summary

On Thursday the 2^d. of January, we all went to Mr. Bennetts concert at w’ch Mr. Kinleside & my son Henry took the principal bass together & which was very well attended, there being above 230 people present. The receipts were also increased by Mr. Thomas not chusing to come, who only sent an excuse that day, which Mr Bennett did not receive ‘till after one, saying simply that a cold prevented his coming & adding immediately the words “Why was not my name inserted in the public prints.”? – It was clear therefore that the latter was the reason of his not coming; the fact being that in the advertisement in the Portsmouth paper the particulars of the first act of which were given (in which Mr Thomas was not to have sung) the second being expressed in general terms as a grand selection from the Messiah, without any particulars. – Mr. B. therefore came to me in much trouble about 2 o’clock to ask my advice as to what was to be done, when we agreed that every thing sho’d go on just the same as if Thomas had come, only leaving out the recit. “Comfort ye” & the follow’g air, instead of which Bartlett of Havant afterwards sung “The people that walked in darkness” the selection consisting of the Overture & much of the 1^st. act of the Messiah with the air by young Brown “How beautiful are” & concluding with the grand Hallelujah, all of w’ch went off very well […] Mr Bennett singing the tenor points & solos in the chorus “For unto us” from the organ with Broadbridge, who sung very steadily & accurately.

[The first half of Bennett's concert, “Held under the Patronage of the Managers of the Subscription Concerts”, had consisted of a miscellaneous first half, which included a ‘MS Overture’, a violin concerto by Giornovici played by Richard Cudmore, and a ‘New Military Divertimento’ for piano duet by Von Esch, performed by Bennett and his pupil Miss Wills. The selection of vocal items included three glees. ‘Between the acts’, runs the concert announcement ‘the Soldier of the 83rd Regiment, who has given such satisfaction at the Subscription Concerts, will sing two Songs accompanied on the Grand Piano-forte by Mr Bennett’.