This lady, in an account of an autumn holiday on the Rhine, relates:
"Liszt, with his wonted kindness, had offered to give a concert in
Cologne, the proceeds of which were to be appropriated to the completion
of the Cathedral; the Rhenish Liedertafel resolved to bring him with due
pomp from the island of Nonnenwerth, near Bonn, where he had been for
some days. A steamboat was hired expressly for this purpose, and
conveyed a numerous company to Nonnenwerth at 11 in the morning. The
Liedertafel then greeted the artist, who stood on the shore, by singing
a morning salute, accompanied by the firing of cannons and loud hurrahs.
They then marched with wind-instruments in advance to the now empty
chapel of the cloister of Nonnenwerth, where they sang, and thence to
Rolandseck, where an elegant dinner was prepared for the company. All
eyes were fixed on Liszt; all hearts were turned to him. He proposed a
toast in honour of his entertainers; and at the conclusion of his speech
observed with justice that nowhere in the world could any club be found
like the Liedertafel in Germany. When the banquet was over they returned
to Nonnenwerth, where a crowd of people from the surrounding country was
assembled. The universal wish to hear Liszt was so evident that he was
induced to send for a piano to be brought into the chapel, and to
gratify the assembly--listening and rapt with delight--by a display of
his transcendent powers. The desolate halls of the chapel once more
resounded with the stir and voices of life. Not even the nuns, we will
venture to say, who in former times used here to offer up prayers to
heaven, were impressed with a deeper sense of the heavenly than was this
somewhat worldly assembly by the magnificent music of Liszt, that seemed
indeed to disclose things beyond this earth. At 7 o'clock the
Liedertafel, with Liszt at their head, marched on their return, and went
on board the steamboat, which was decorated with coloured flags, amid
peals of cannon. It was 9, and quite dark, when they approached their
landing. Rockets were sent up from the boat, and a continued stream of
coloured fireworks, so that as the city rose before them from the bosom
of the Rhine the boat seemed enveloped in a circle of brilliant flame
which threw its reflection far over the waters. Music and hurrahs
greeted our artist on shore; all Cologne was assembled to give him the
splendid welcome which in other times only monarchs received. Slowly the
procession of the Liedertafel moved through the multitude to the hotel,
where again and again shouts and cheers testified the joy of the people
at the arrival of their distinguished guest."