| Description | Letter from Amelia Nyasa Laws, Bergstrasse 33, Dresden, Germany, to her relatives, regarding a wet Easter Day; Fraulein Albrecht has been poisoned and is too weak to teach; attending the rehearsal of St. Matthew's Passion; description of orchestral and choir layout; Frau Wedekind and Frau Oppermann to sing; four male soloists are from the Chemnitz and Dresden opera houses; rehearsal made public so that the acoustics were all right for the singers; approval for the conductor, Herr Hasse; Herr Pfannstiehl playing, and then showing her some of the techniques involved; attending Brahms' requiem, the Protestant version; outline of its contents; mention of old German custom of a song at the lowering of a coffin into the grave; criticism of the Scottish Reformation for banishing music and art; watching Herr Pfannstiehl accompany an orchestra; good music at the vesper service, including a young English lady singing 'I know that my Redeemer liveth' and choir pieces from the Messiah; Herr Pfannstiehl has played at 36 services this week; praise for the boys' choir and their ability to sightread, but criticism of their irreverence; receipt of African and Edinburgh letters and news of Aunt Amy's visit to Miss Telford, who is to go to Prestwick; memories of Mrs. McLaren; Mrs. Heron likely to give up having boarders because of her health; Uncle to take Dr. Jowett over the Pauline sites in Rome at Mrs. Kennedy's expense; Oscar's mother ill and Oscar taking it badly; she is worn out because her sons do not help her. |