T

The Welsh Eisteddfod.

BY

WILLIAM APMADOC.

HE imposing national Eisteddfod festival of the Welsh people on May 30, 1903, ranks with the best ever held, not only in this country, but in the Principality itself. The greatest of all was the one held at the World's Fair in 1893, when $12,000 was distributed in prizes and when foreign choirs won the main choral awards, the first choral prize amounting to $5,000, and a gold medal to the winning conductor.

The word Eisteddfod is pronounced Ise-teth'-vod, the "th" as in "with" or "thou" and the accent falling on the middle syllable. The name has become familiar in all Welsh and English speaking countries and localities, and means, in the best sense of the word, a "Sitting" of poets, essayists, elocutionists, orators, harpists and singers in competitive sessions before competent critics. Another definition reads: "A congress of bards and musicians in friendly competition for artistic excellence." There is no English equivalent for the word, or for a number of other words in the ancient and, also, modern musical Welsh language. The Eisteddfod gatherings for ages have been the Kymric literary Olympics and they are none the less among the same people in this, their adopted land.

Eisteddfods: The Royal, or that which enacted the laws; the Eisteddfod of Justice, where transgressors were tried and THE ORIGIN of the Eisteddfod dates where legal questions were decided; the back into centuries before the Christian Bardic Eisteddfod, held according to the era-to the Britonic primitive estate when rules and rites of the Bards of the Island the Druids controlled its functions. In of Britain. "Bards bear no naked weapon glancing backward to this remote period, against nor in the presence of any one, and we pass by and leave behind the stories no one is permitted to do so in their presand historic remains of peoples born after ence, for a bard is the minister of peace, the Kymric race had become a full-grown refuge and justice." This is the Eisteddnation, with its kings, princes and govern- fod of the present day in many of its feamental establishments. Song and harp tures. contests were features of the home life and of the festivals of the "groves" the "temples of the gods." According to the old Cambrian laws there were three kinds of

It has been instrumental, along with the pulpit and press, in preserving until the present time the rich, sonorous Welsh tongue, with its wealth of poetic and melodic literature. The majority of

from the island, was crowned King of the ancient Britons. Other royal Eisteddfods are recorded in ancient Welsh history, chief of which were the ones held in the sixth century by Prince Maelgwyn Gwynedd; in the seventh century, under the auspices of Cadwalader Fendigaid; in the tenth century under Prince Cadwgan Ap Bleddyn, and the most noted of all during the middle ages, the one held at Caersws under the patronage of Prince Griffith Ap Cynan. Throughout the dark ages the people of "Wild Wales" had a literature of their own-the love of letters and of music were never extinguished among them.

The chief Eisteddfods have their "runic" sign-their Nod cyfrin, which is nothing less than the sign of God's unutterable name-a mystery. Ancient and historic mottoes adorn the platforms and walls. The motto common to all is: "Y Gwir vn Erbyn y Byd," "The Truth against the World." Others are: "Nothing is truly good that can be excelled." "Heart to heart;" "In the sun's face, the eye of light;" "Awake, it is day!" and many others in possession of certain bardic circles in the several counties of the Princi

the people of Scotland have for the last
century adopted the English language.
So have the Irish, though a remarkable
Irish revival is now in progress. Wales,
on the other hand, has had, and has to-day,
a living literature. It has libraries of old
manuscripts and modern Welsh books, a
powerful press, an eloquent pulpit, a colle-
giate Sunday school, three universities and
the Eisteddfod, the most unique and an-
cient literary and musical festival in all
history. It seems that the Welsh-the
Kymry-have been a veritable fulfillment
of the prophecy of their chief bard, Talie-
sin, in the sixth century:

"Eu Ner a folant,
Eu haith a gadwant,
Eu tir a gollant
Ond Gwyllt Walia."

"Their god they'll adore,
Their language they'll keep,
Their country they'll lose,
Save Wild Wales."

pality. "God, and all goodness," "O, Jesus, repress injustice," and many more show the religious bent of the Keltic mind.

ANCIENT MUSICAL FEATURES.-Playing upon the triple-stringed harp and upon the Welsh Crwth (a six-stringed violin), constituted the instrumental portion of the festival in the earlier centuries. The pipe of the shepherds figured but little in the musical contests. Bards were also harpists. There are in printed volumes to-day hundreds of old Cambrian melodies composed by these bard-harpists, which are unsurpassed in beauty, pathos and perfection of form. Some of these, it is believed, were composed impromptu, while "Master Singers" sung impromptu verses in their vocal contests to the melodies played upon the harps. This method of singing is called "Penillion Singing," or "Singing with the strings"-the singer being skilled in weaving stanzas of different metres to the regular melody. This mode of singing is in vogue to-day, but there are few real masters of the difficult art.

The most authentic records have it that the first ancient royal Eisteddfod was held in the fourth century by Owen Ap Maxen Wledig, who, when the Romans departed

During the evening sessions of the leading festivals the oratorios of the "Messiah," "Samson," "Israel in Egypt," "Eli

jah, "St. Paul," "The Creation" and

others are performed.

THE CHAIRING OF THE BARD is the main literary feature in all important Eisteddfods. It is the annual custom in the national festival in Wales. The Bardic Oak Chair is the highest honor bestowed upon the poet who has composed the worthiest "Awdl," or alliterative ode, wherein the poet exhibits his linguistic skill in using the twenty-four standard metres in alliteration. No other literature contains such a system of alliterative metres. These curious and difficult metre-forms were officially promulgated at the Royal Carmarthen (South Wales) Eisteddfod in the year 1451, presided over by Prince Griffith Ap Nicolas, the noble patron of the arts and sciences, and where David Ap Edmont won the highest honor of Bardism. It was at this notable festival that the "Awdl❞ metres were established by royal decree, and by adoption by the congress of distinguished Welsh bards there as

sembled.

The chairing of the bard was the most remarkable incident of the Pittsburg Eisteddfod of May 30. The ceremony consists

in having all worthy poets stand in a semi- the circle of poets place their right hands circle behind the new and beautifully

carved oak chair. Then the adjudicator on the poet's head, while the chief bard rereads his criticism upon the poems sub- peats the famous beautiful, untranslatable "Englyn":

mitted to him and announces at the close the assumed name of the winner. It is a moment of intense silence and anxiety.

"Credwch, chwi feib Ceriwen,-fryd uchel, Na fradychwyd Awen;

until the master of ceremonies repeats the assumed name and calls upon the lucky bard to reveal himself. When he does so he receives a great ovation. As he is led by two officials to the stage a great chorus will sing the national anthem, or a brass band will play "See, the Conquering Hero Comes." The honored poet stands in front of the "Chair," facing the audience, while the chief bard of the day reads the bardic proclamation and, immediately after, a sheathed sword is held horizontally above the head of the poet by a bardic official standing on his left, with the handle toward the chief bard, who draws the sword halfway out of the scabbard while he utters thrice in stentorian tones the peaceMODERN MUSICAL FEATURES.-During challenge question: "Is there peace?" the last hundred years or so vocal music Three times comes the answer, "Peace!" has predominated, much against the will in thunderous tones from the sonorous of the literati of the Principality. Choral, throats of Welsh thousands. After this glee, part-song, quartet, songs, and piano the sword is pushed back into the scabbard, and harp solos have been the main features

Cadeiriwyd mewn coed 'derwen

Y bardd a farnwyd yn ben."

There is no English equivalent for "Englyn," the first stanza-metre of the alliterative group. We present a free and very inadequate translation of it: "Believe, ye high-souled sons of Poesy, that the muse is not dishonored; in the oaken bardic chair shall be seated the poet who is adjudged the master of all." Then the poet, unchallenged, seats himself into the full possession of the coveted honor amid the cheers of the throng, followed by the congratulatory effusions of the poets and the singing of the national anthem, "The Land of Our Fathers."

of the festival. Some of the best musi- most brilliant and successful of all Welsh cians of Europe have acted as critical festivals of the last decade. The officers judges over these Welsh competitions, of the Association are: L. E. Davis, M. such as the late Sir Jules Benedict, D., president; Joseph D. Jones, vice-presiDr. G. A. Macfarren, Sir Joseph dent; Robert H. Davies, secretary; D. R. Barnby, Dr. Joseph Parry, and of Williams, assistant secretary; D. Lloyd those now living, Dr. Henry Cow- Jones, treasurer. The music committee, ard, Dr. A. C. MacKenzie, president of responsible for the test pieces and for the the Royal Academy of Music, London, and enlistment of mixed choirs, male choirs, other leading musicians. Through these ladies' choirs, quartets and soloists, were annual national contests some of the best as follows: W. J. Jones (secretary-treasartists of Wales have come to light and urer of the Pittsburg Bank for Savings), prominence. Among them Madame Edith chairman; D. R. Francis, Stanley Harris, Wynne, Madame Megan Watts Hughes, William D. Jones and D. J. Davies. Presidents of Sessions, Dr. L. E. Davis; Hon. Samuel M. Jones, mayor of Toledo, Ohio; and Rev. W. C. Roberts, D. D., LL. D., president of Central University of Kentucky, Danville, Ky.

Conductors of exercises: Thomas P.
Williams, New Castle, Pa.; and Albert J.
Edwards, Pittsburg.

Adjudicators of Music: Dr. Roland
Rogers of Bangor, North Wales; William
ApMadoc, Chicago; Henry E. Krehbiel
New York City.

Adjudicators of literature and art: G.
H. Humphrey, M. A., Utica, New York;
Miss A. W. Corbin and Clarence Johns,
Pittsburg.

Madame Mary Davies, Miss Clara Williams of Minneapolis, Minn., Miss Edith Rowland, the Welsh pianist, John Thomas and Aptommas, the celebrated brother harpists, Brinley Richards, Edward German, D. Emlyn Evans, D. Jenkins, Mus. Bac.; Daniel Protheroe, Mus. Bac.; Dr. D. J. J. Mason, Dr. W. Rhys-Herbert, Ben Davies and Ffrancon Davies.

Eisteddfod soloists: Miss Edith Rowland, pianist; Daniel T. Beddoe, tenor; John R. Roberts, baritone-all from Pittsburg.

THE PITTSBURG FESTIVAL.-This Eis-
teddfod, held May 30, 1903, at Exposition
Hall under the auspices of the Pittsburg
National Eisteddfod Association, was the

Eisteddfod accompanist: Professor J. H. Gittings.

About ten thousand people were in attendance at each of the morning and afternoon sessions, and fully fourteen thousand at the evening session when the mixed choral societies contended for the main prize of $1,000.

This prize of the grand choral competition, with a gold medal, was awarded to the Pittsburg Choral Union. The second prize, $500, was awarded to the Youngstown (Pa.) Choral Union. The many other prizes were donated by leading and public-spirited citizens of Pittsburg.

The chief pieces rendered were "Ye Nations, Offer to the Lord" (Mendelssohn), "Leonore" (T. J. Davies), "The Bells of Aberdovey" (T. J. Davies), "The Nun of Nidaros" (Protheroe), "In May" (Dr. Horatio Parker), and "Fairest Daughter of the Graces" (from "Rigoletto").

A

The Emerson Centenary.

BY

HAYES ROBBINS.

BROADENING and deepening wave of appreciation of Ralph Waldo Emerson is rolling in upon eastern Massachusetts this centennial year of his birth from all parts of the country, some of it from over seas. In Boston it is an inundation. Emerson meetings, Emerson readings and lectures, Emerson sermons in nearly all the churches, special articles reminiscent and appreciative in the press and reviews, the publication of special editions of his works, Emerson's likeness in all the bookstore windows, and an unprecedented demand for admission tickets to the principal commemoration meetings are the features of the place and hour. Truly it is an impressive tribute not only to Emerson but also to the intellectual quality of our civilization. The degree of advancement of a civilization is fairly well indicated, in fact, by its promptness to recognize the immortals; the quality of its judgment; its capacity to select from the horde of passing favorites the few Titanic men whom, in Emerson's phrase, the gods shall adopt into their own race. To be sure, capacity for appreciation is not nearly so conclusive a tribute to the health and promise of a civilization as it is of its intellectual acuteness; and not nearly so gratifying as some larger evidences of a new epoch of creative power would be; but perhaps it is all that could be expected, and much to be thankful for, that in this intermediate period of relative into individual minds like the inworkings mediocrity we have at least the quality of of inspiration. comprehension, to an important degree, of the best that has been. This gives us a broad plateau out of which even greater Sequoias may possibly spring if the soil

land that he found Emerson preaching in every church the Dean visited in America; but there was no social consciousness of this silent transformation. Emerson's early influence was as purely individual as his philosophy. It came to individual men, here one and there one, each unaware of the unseen network that was binding them in a new fellowship. Imperceptibly it diffused itself through the intellectual and spiritual atmosphere, and thence out

prove deep and rich enough.

I would not imply that appreciation of Emerson is anywhere near universal as yet; however great his influence, until quite recently it has been largely unconscious. Dean Stanley reported in Eng

RALPH WALDO EMERSON.

mic quality of Emerson's work.
came a part of the intuitions of the race
because it was in its very nature so nearly
whence intuition comes. What was the
result? Most naturally, that this thought
influence, being infinitely larger than any
individual mind, had fairly saturated the
mental atmosphere before the social con-

identical with the universal "mind-stuff"