The London Kelt

iSt. i\)a1J. CELEBRATIONS IN LONDON AND THE PROVINCES. WELSH SERVICE IN ST. PAULS CATHEDRAL. The Welsh National Festival held at St. Paul's Cathedral last Saturday night-the eve of St. David's Day-was a huge success in every respect. The spacious old edifice was well filled with Welshmen proud of their religion, their language, their nation, their country and traditions. The service throughout was conducted with characteristic fervour. Sir John H. Puleston, who has been the chairman of com- mittee of the movement ever since its inception in 1890, read the first lesson, and the Rev. Richard Jones read the second in the real Welsh style. The Rev. Killin Roberts (late Welsh chaplain of All Saints, Margaret St.), intoned the first portion of the service giving an occasional taste of the old Welsh hwyl." Nothing could be more impressive than Mr. Ffrangcon Davies's rendering of Tu hwnt i furiau'r ddinas bell "-a Welsh translation from Gounod's- and Mr. Herbert Emlyn's "Tad yr Amddifaid by Emlyn Evans. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis by Owain Alaw (in D) were sung, while the choir, under the conductorship of Mr. Edward Owen, sang the anthem Fy enaid bendithia yr Arglwydd by Jenkins. The Lord Bishop of Swansea preached a capital sermon from St. John iv, 37, 38, And herein is that saying true, One soweth and [another reapeth. L I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor; other men labored and ye are entered into their labours." After showing the truth of the say- ing in its application to the Welsh nation, the preacher treated his subject under two headings; (I) As regards the Church, and (2) As regards the country. In reviewing the history of the church of Wales from St. John, he gave an account of St. David's connection with it and of how it had taken centuries to establish the parish system in its present form. He would not deal with the controversies which had been, and were now carried on, beyond that in and out of Parliament it was now becoming to be generally acknowledged that there did exist a Welsh Church before the Church of England, that the both afterwards existed side by side until they were wedded into one. In dealing with the second heading the preacher incidentally touched upon the Armenian Question, saying that the Government were in the best position to judge what was the right thing to do but that there was no getting away from the fact that the Government, also, were the respon- sible party. Christianity was the greatest blessing England had ever received and it was her duty to see that Christians were protected wherever they were. In conclusion he exhorted all Welshmen who were away from their country to conduct themselves like people belonging to a religious nation. Thanks to his Lordship's clear voice and easy delivery, every- body heard him. Those of the "Young Wales" persuasion who were present could hardly agree with his Lordship's assumption that the union of the Church of Wales with that of England, and of England with Wales were the climax of Welsh happiness. All the hymns were sung to soul-stirring tunes which were so familiar as to enable the whole of the vast congregation to take part-" Caernarvon in particular, being very heartily taken up, and if the contributions were made anything nearly as heartily a large sum in excess of the expenses must have been the result. Not a word of English was uttered from beginning to end (not even the text), so that the whole proceedings were of the typical and truly Welsh character. Mr. David J. Thomas ably pre- sided at the organ. The general arrangements made under the direction of the secretary Rev. Morris Roberts (assistant chaplain of the Welsh Church of the City of London), were all that could be desired.