4 May 1826

Samuel Wesley’s Benefit Concert

London: New Argyll Rooms—Time: Evening, Half Past Eight o’Clock

Tickets: 10s. 6d.

✗Programme

Part I
Symphony No.41 in C major, Jupiter		Mozart
Grand Miscellaneous Act
*Organ Fantasia Extempore	Mr. Wesley
*Piano Concerto	Mr. Moscheles	Moscheles
*Violin Solo	Mr. Mori
Part II
Confitebor		Wesley

Principal Vocalists: Miss Betts, Miss Cawse, Miss H. Cawse, Miss Hammersley, Miss Paton; Messrs. Braham, Hawes, Horncastle, J. Elliott, Knyvett, Phillips, Sale, Terrail, Vaughan, Welsh, Master Francis

Principal Instrumentalists: Messrs. Mori, Moscheles, Wesley

Leader: Mr. Franz Cramer; Conductor: Sir Samuel Wesley

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The Morning Post (May 2, 1826): 1.

NEW ARGYLL-ROOMS.—Mr. S. WESLEY most respectfully announces that his CONCERT is fixed for THURSDAY Next, May 4th, when will be performed, for first time, a Confitebor (111 Psalm), composed for a full Vocal and Instrumental Orchestra, in the year 1799, by S. Wesley.—Principal Performers: Miss Paton, Miss Hammersley, Miss Betts, Miss Cawse, and Miss H. Cawse; Mr. Braham, Mr. W. Knyvett, Mr. Welsh, Mr. J. B. Sale, Mr. Hawes, Mr. J. Elliott, Mr. Horncastle, Master Francis (pupils of S. Wesley), Mr. Vaughan, and Mr. Phillips. Leader of the Band, Mr. F. Cramer; Conductor, Mr. S. Wesley; with a grand Miscellaneous Act (to commence with the Jupiter Sinfonia of Mozart). A concerto on the Piane-forte [sic], by Mr. Moscheles; an Extemporaneous Fantasia on the Organ, by Mr. S. Wesley; and a Solo on the Violin by Mr. Mori. The Band and Chorus will consist of upwards of one hundred Performers. To begin at Half-past Eight precisely.—Tickets 10s. 6d. each, to be had at the Royal Harmonic Institution, Regent-street; at the principal Music Shops; and of Mr. S. Wesley, No. 16, Euston-street, Euston-square, where applications for boxes are requested to be made.

The Morning Post (May 4, 1826): 1.

NEW ARGYLL-ROOMS.—Mr. S. WESLEY most respectfully announces to the Musical Public in general, and to his Friends in particular, that his CONCERT is fixed for THIS EVENING, May 4, to commence at Half-past Eight o’Clock precisely.—Principal Performers: Miss Paton, Miss Hammersley, Miss Betts, Miss Cawse, and Miss H. Cawse; Mr. Braham, Mr. W. Knyvett, Mr. Welsh, Mr. I. B. [sic] Sale, Mr. Hawes, Mr. J. Elliott, Mr. Horncastle, Master Francis (pupils of S. Wesley), Mr. Vaughan, and Mr. Phillips. Leader of the Band, Mr. F. Cramer; Conductor, Mr. S. Wesley; with a grand Miscellaneous Act (to commence with the Jupiter Sinfonia of Mozart). In the course of the Act will be introduced a Concerto on the Pianoforte, by Mr. Moscheles; an Extemporaneous Fantasia on the Organ, by Mr. S. Wesley; and a Solo on the Violin by Mr. Mori. The Band will consist of upwards of one hundred Performers, with a numerous Chorus. Tickets 10s. 6d. each, to be had at the Royal Harmonic Institution, Regent-street; at the principal Music Shops; and of Mr. S. Wesley, No. 16, Euston-street, Euston-square, where applications for boxes are requested to be made.

Reviews

Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser (May 13, 1826): 1.

On Thursday evening, a numerous muster of the admirers of Sacred Music, took place at the Argyle Rooms to hear the Confitebor, a composition by the veteran organist, Mr. S. Wesley. And it affords us great pleasure to bear testimony to the merit of several of the pieces. Though the accompaniments are in general somewhat heavy, and too much extended, for modern taste, yet several of Mr. Wesley’s Melodies are really good and the Harmonies excellent, especially of a semi-chorus or quartette near the end of the piece. The latter we consider of a very superior order, and likely to render the composition a favourite with the public. The principal defect of Mr. Wesley’s work is a redundance of chorus; which he will find it advantageous to curtail nearly one-half, if he proposes to render his new work as popular as its merits deserve.

The Harmonicon, vol. IV (June 1826): 131.

Mr. S. WESLEY’S,—Thursday, May 4th, at the Argyll Rooms. In the first part of this concert, Mr. Wesley performed an extemporaneous fantasia on the organ, an andante in which was very clever, and, in point of melodious effect, quite charming; but we regretted that he had not a better instrument for the display of his abilities. The second act consisted entirely of a Confitebor, by Mr. W., a work which contains some very fine composition, and many beautiful passages. The principal performers in it were, Misses Paton, Hammersley, and Cawse; Messrs. W. Knynett, Braham, Vaughan, Sale, and Phillips.

Mr. Moscheles played one of his masterly concertos at the end of the first part of the concert.