• Estates Theatre orchestra: participating orchestra
• ŠŤASTNÁ, ?: soloist, S
• MEDALOVÁ, Vilemína: soloist, A
• PETÁK, ?: soloist, T
• STRAKATÝ, Karel: soloist, B

News published by Dalibor 1/1/1859 related that a Pastoral Mass in D major by Zikmund Kolešovský was to be given in the church [of St Francis] ‘u Křížovníků’ (at the Knights of the Cross) on Epiphany (‘na Tři krále’). Prager Morgenpost 4/1/1859 related similar information, that a great Pastoral Mass in D major by the composer and Director of the Sophien-Akademie [Žofín Academie] Sigmund Kolešowský was to be performed at that church on 6/1/1859. However, later editions of both Dalibor and Morgenpost reported that it was actually a mass setting by A.W. Ambros that was given. The possibility that both works were performed on the same day seems unlikely; also no record of the work by Kolešovský having been given around this date appears in contemporary sources. Most likely the Mass by Ambros constituted a change to the original programme, which is reflected too in the somewhat discursive announcement of the composer of the work in the later Morgenpost 8/1/1859 review of the event.

The Dalibor 10/1/1859 report noted only that Ambros’s Mass in C major was performed in the church ‘u Křížovníků’ on 6/1/1859, and listed the solo vocalists who participated in the performance.

The Prager Morgenpost 8/1/1859 review, signed ‘R.’, contained more specific detail of the occasion, enthusing that the event was a ‘delight’ and would remain long in memory. Particular praise was afforded to both the organizer and director of the performance Josef Krejčí, as well as to A.W. Ambros for the success his Mass in C major. This work, by a composer who the critic noted was more widely regarded as a theoretician and historian, was considered to be of especial interest. In church music, the reviewer considered, form and artistic content needed to rank as equals, ‘musical content without organic form is as unthinkable as musical form without poetic content.’ Ambros’s work succeeded in this respect, exhibiting both a ‘fluency of form’ which had already been ‘now and then characteristic of this Tonepoet in his earlier works’ and an ‘imaginative wealth’ discernible across the entire breadth of the composition. Krejčí’s Offertorium similarly inspired positive comment. His ‘noble, in powerful church-music style’ Pastoral-Hymnus was reported to have been specially composed for the Festival of Epiphany and ‘again provided us with evidence of the productive talent of this learned Tonepoet.’ Krejčí composed as his opus 27 two Pastoral hymns for Christmas and Epiphany, Jesu redemptor omnium and Crudelis Herodes. The work given here, on Epiphany, would have been the second of these two.
Of the performance of these works the Morgenpost review remarked that it was ‘on the whole, notwithstanding the weighty demands on the orchestra and vocal parts, a coup. The solo roles were well-filled. Miss Stiasný [Šťasná], while still very young, in the field of church music is a very zealous singer, she possess a noble, clean soprano with an abundance of flexibility. Her performance was well expressed, and appropriate to church [music style]. The alto part Miss Medal [Medalová] sang with her even, diligently schooled voice, and with an expression that was not lacking in grace. Also Mr Peták (tenor) and Strakatý, our meritorious stage-veterans, laudably complemented one another.’ The performance in general was noted to have been well-rehearsed and executed under Krejčí. The instrumentalists were made up of members of the Estates Theatre orchestra.