Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

26 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

AFTERNOON MEETING. I

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

AFTERNOON MEETING. The afternoon meeting was presided over by the Bishop of St. Davids, who was enthusiastically received. His lordship said there were three reasons why he was glad they were having an annual eisteddfod. The first reason was that those kind of meetings brought people together who otherwise did not have an opportunity of meeting and working together. Scientific people told him of the theory of attalism—but there was a great deal in them that belonged to primitive man. There was something in their Welsh blood that made a fight interesting— a quality which also belonged to primitive man. But when they had a real sensible system of Education their Welsh imagination would be developed so much that they would find working harmoni- ously together far more interesting than fighting. Meetings like that brought thern together with a common object. They had a delightful programme of music, literature and art. These were things necessary to make life happy. It was not money that made life happy. It was necessary for a man to have a hobby of some kind, and the best hobby of all was music or literature or art. A great many children left school hating books. There were books that were bad, but they could get an excellent library now for a sovereign, and it was a thousand pities that so many young people had no taste for reading. The eisteddfod helped them in that way. He knew he was speaking in the presence of critics and musicians, but he thought it would have been advisable if a little different system had been adopted in the prizes offered. Instead of giving one musical piece to competitors he suggested that a piece should be set at sight. He believed the result wou]ù be that in the towns and visages some solid musical work would be done during the winter months. His third reason for believi?n'g e winter Eisteddfod was that he was a Welshman and believed in Welsh patriotism. A Welshman was very difficult to define. If they described him as a person who spoke Welsh he was afraid that a great many of those present would be excluded. In Wales there was a great mixture of races. They had the Old Stonemen of long ago, then the new Stonemen— those little dark people whose traces were still found in all parts of Wales. Then they had the Goidels, the Brythons, the:Norsemen, the Saxons, and the Normans. After that, how could they say who was a Welshman and who was not? Bnt he had a definition that included all who loved Wales. Whether a person spoke with a Welsh or a pure English accent if he lived in Wales and loved NN,'Ia)ilieres better than himself that person was a Welshman. (Applause). He was glad that there was a proper amount of Welsh sentiment in the premier Welsh county, and a practical way of expressing it was not to Jet Dr. Owen's library go outside the county. (Applause). It was all very well to talk patriotism on the platform, but the important thing was to carry it out in daily life. He was reminded that it was a great predecessor of his—Bishop Burgess— who revived the Eisteddfod 100 years ago after it had been in abeyance for many years, with the assistance of another man, one of the most charming of Welsh poets and one of the most genial of Eistedl'fodwr, Ceiriog Hughes, of whom lie was reminded because his gifted daughter was one of the adjudicators that day. In this county, with its antiquities, its ancient churches, and its castles, he exhorted them, whether English or Welsh speaking, to be proud of their premier county, and to work together to make the Wales we loved a little better and brighter be- cause we had lived. (Applause). The Mayor proposed a vote of thanks to the Bishop, and referred to his lordship as a good Welshman and as an authority on Welsh literature. Dr. F. R. Greenish seconded, and hoped that the Bishop's suggestion as to allowing the adjudicator to say what portion of a work should be performed, I would be carried out another year. The vote was carried with applause. THE COMPETITIONS. Tenor solo, "Admired Miranda" (D Jenkins)— Prize awarded to William Lewis, Pembroke Dock. Two choirs, lIaverfordwest, nd Tenby, entered for the chief choral competition, "By Babylon's Wave" (Gounod), and in delivering his adjudication Dr. Arthur J. Greenish asked the choirs why they thought that singing and forcing the voices were the same thing. Both choirs forced their voices to no end, they ruined the tune, and if they did not look out they would ruin their own throats. The first choir (Teuby) did not have good balance, the sopranos did not blend in consequence of one or two over-straining their voices. The tenors were rather weak, the intonation was very poor, and he alluded to other faults including the rendering of the final cadence, and the failure to grasp the sentiment of the words in the second part. The balance of the other choir (Haverfordwest) was fairly good. The base were too light, the intonation was sharp. A part of the expression was poor the opening of the second part was much too loud, so that when they worked up to the climax on page seven there was no more climax left in them. The fugue was rather better done than the first choirs, but it was not sustained enough. There was no question that No. 2 was the better choir, and he awarded them the prize. Mr W. E. Dixon, the conductor, was then invested, amid applause, with the prize of and the silver- mounted baton, given by Messrs. Thompson and Shackell, Cardiff. The Rev E Nicholson Jones delivered the adjudi- cation on the original poem "The hills of Pembroke- shire" and said there were four competitors. Gwyneth was evidently as yet only in the lower. rungs of the poetic ladder Idris was a careless competitor; "Neurig" had written a poem of con- siderable length and in metre, rhyme, and accent there was no fault to be found. But the sentiments expressed were tame and common place, and the composition lacked the flight of poetic fancy. Had there been no other poem to consider he must say the competition would have been disappointing and the hills would not have found their poet. But he was pleased to say there was one who saved the situation and who lifted the competition from the level of mediocrity. "Gerllawymynyddoedd" had sent in a poem which breathed the true spirit of romance, and which bore evidence of the skill of the true artist. He deserved the prize. The successful competitor was Mr William Thomas, of Cardiff (a native of Fishguard). For the open male voice competition only one choir competed—Llanelly, conducted by Mr Dan S. Evans, and in awarding them the prize ( £ 3.3 and a silver cup for the conductor, given by the Mayor), for a magnificent rendering of "The Reveille" (Elgar) the Adjudicator said this was a piece of intense difficulty and any other choir would have had a hard task to beat them. The Morriston choir entered for this competition, but did not put in an appearance. For the best recitation of the Death of Minne- haha (Longfellow), the first prize went to Miss A. Phillips, Haverfordwest, and the second to Miss Lizzie Davies, Llanelly. Contralto solo Happy art thou, Magdalena" (Stainer).—Prize divided between Miss Jago, Pem- broke Dock, and Miss Agnes Phillips, Haverford- west. Four choirs entered for the county male voice competition, "Peace, be still" (D. Jenkins). Prize, no and gold medal for the conductor (given by Mr Bisley H. Munt.) These were: L Llysyfran, con- ductor, Mr John Bees; 2, Haverfordwest, conductor, Mr T. Mathias; ;1, Camrose, conductor, Mr C. HeeR; ,1, Cleddau, Pembroke Dock, conductor, MrD. Davies. The adjudicator described it as a severe test to sing a part of the piece without acconipanimeut. In the first choir, the first tenors were constantly out of tune, expression fair, tempo rather fast. No. 2, very good choir, expression fairly correct, but they came to grief at bottom of pa>'es 1 and 5, one or two chords being absolutely wron" No. i. Tempo not well chosen, they made the same mistake as the previour choir on pages 1 and 5 • they sang a wrong note and made a very bad cadence. No. t, Express- ions very good, the andante was the best of all, and although they made a serious slip in the cadence, they were the only choir that sang correctly the chord on pages 4 and 5. lie awarded the prize to No.4-Pembroke Dock. THE EISTEDDFOD CONCERT. Monday's. musical teast included a high-class concert, which may be described as the feature of the dav. A crowded audience was presided over by the Mayor (Mr Isaiah Reynolds) and in addition to the full band of tke hit Batt. Wetch Regiment some of the best known artistes bad been engaged. The band, which was conducted by Me J. W. Monck, opened the programme with an overture, which was one of the finest features of the evening. The star artiste was Miss Winifred Lewis, of Senglienydd, a contralto singer, who gave a charming rendering of C. N. Davies's solo, Friend. Encored, Miss Lewis responded with "My mother's song," and later in the evening she was again encored for her singing of "Kathleen Mavourneen," responding with "The minstrel boy." She also appeared in the duet, "Venetian boat song," along with the soprano, Madame Maud Loveless, who possesses a well- trained voice and whose technique is without the slightest defect, but who on this occasion did not appear to the best advantage. Responding to an encore the artistes sang" AJice, where art thou?" Another success of the evening was the duet Two beggars," by the tenor and bass (Mr John Roberts and Mr William Samuell). Mr Roberts's voice has a slight nasal defect, bat otherwise he is a sweet and powerful singer and excellent on the top notes. Mr W. Samuel was warmly applauded for his rendering of the solo "Old Squire Bob," and as an encore he sang Stephen Adams's Thora." The quartette was a brilliant performance, and then came that magnificent selection by the Band, Sullivan's Gondoliers." During an interval, the Mayor said the eisteddfod had proved a success, both financially and musi- cally. They were glad to find that the eisteddfod platform was broad enough to contain men of all creeds and all shades of political thought. He men- tioned that already £ 300 was available for taking over Dr Henry Owen's library, and by the close of the day he hoped the figures would have swoollen to 1:100. In conclusion the Mayor, as chairman of the eisteddfod committee, paid a tribute to his colleagues for the splendid way in which they had worked in order to make that day a success.—Sir Alfred Thomas proposed a vote of thanks to the Mayor, and this was seconded by Mr A. H. Howard, and carried with acclamation.—The accompanist was Mr C. 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