The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-07-19 00:00:00

WELSH SINGERS AT MARLBOROUGH
HOUSE.

- -
The Special Deportee of the Daily Telegraph glees the
following interesting account of the above ceremony
:
In the ordinary course of things, the five hundred
Weleh choralists who won the Challenge Cup of the
National Music Meetings, would on Monday have
j ,urneyed back to their native hills and valleys. Instead
of this, they remained in town for &ceremony that W &O,
to most of them, far more interesting and memorable
than the struggle at Sydenham—a ceremony cleetined
to afford a topic of conversation at many a Welsh
fireside through the coining winter. Thanks to the
active intervention of Mr. Drinley Richards on hie
countrymen's behalf, and to the gracious kindness of the
illustrious personages concerned, it had been arranged
thst the Choir ehould go to Marlborough House, and
have the honour of singing before the Prince and
Princess of Wrlee. Row proud and glad the
five hundred" were of this it is eaty to ima-
gine. The Welsh are a loyal folk, and though "one
Princa," as they fondly call the heir to the throne,
cannot trace his docent from Llewellyn, he is
lo ;Iced upon as, in a epnial manner, appertaining
to the Principality whence his title is derived.
Not only to Nee their Prince and Princese, but
to be welcomed by tin m within the guarded pre-
cincts of Marlb rough House—this way enough
to TO,lBl the generous Celtic nature to a high
pitch of tnthneiasm, and had the honour nects.
eitated btaying from home a week longer, or even of
giving up the intnth-prized Cup. it is easy to believe
that the sacrifice would have been made. "'the
Challenge Cup may go to the bottom of the Thames,"
eaid one of the leaders of the expedition, "but we will
go to Marlborough Howe," and an assenting cheer
from the rank and file who heard him, endorsed his
words. . .

The rend, ZVOUR on Monday afternoon was at Willis's
Roams, and thither &eked the men and maidens of
the choir, exciting no small wonder among the
denizais of the neighbourhood. Inside the rooms
there was the bustle inseparable from such oc-
casions. Tickets were bring distributed with
c infusion of tongues, Welsh and English ladies
were busily decorating gentlemen's coats with green
favors, and now and then an orator would mount upscia
a chair to unburden himself of some seasonable
thoughts, but, on the whole, discipline was well
kept—custrini-hingly well kept, considering the general
lack of order shown at Eiateddfodan, where the wor-
thea loyuendi upsets everything.
A little before four o'clock word was passed
for the committee a nominal and elastic body
—to pair off for the procession, and, when raired
off, a very becoming acipearanoe the committee
made, thanks to a number of ladies, headed
by Mrs. Brinley Richards. Among the gentle-
men present I observed the Marquis of Bate,
Mr. Richards, M.P., Mr. Fothergill, M.P. Mr. S.
Holland, MP., Sir T. LI iyd, M.P. Mr. R. Davies,
M.P., Rev. T. C. Evans, M.A., Principal of the
Welsh University, Rag. Canon Jenkins, Messrs.
Brinley Richards, Hugh Owen. R. G. Williams,Owain
Alan, Willett Beale, Dr. Price, and others more or
leas prominent in connection with Wales. Following
the committee came the Choir, the members of which
had also 'paired off" on the principle of that
separation of the ilexes which Mr. Spurgeon
recommended for the ball room. The eopranos
walked tint, the altos, tenors, and basses coming after
In order of voice, while at the head of all was carried a
blue banner representing the rampant fiery dragon
of Wales, and bearing, in company with certain
mystic characters, the mottoes, "Yri Nwdd Duw a
Dangnef," and "1( Ddraig Goch Dddyry Cydwyn."
These formidable groups of colleen:mute were a fertile
theme of wonder to Ore lookers-on in the streets,
and seemed to present d fficulties even to the Welsh
themeelves, iummucti as I obtained different interpre-
tations of them from various authorities. The balance
of evidence was, however, in favour of "Under the
protection of God and His peace," and "The Red
Dragon leads the van "—the tint admirable in its
pious aspiration, the second appropriate to a cere-
monial whereat the Red Dragon was always, said
literally, in advance.
From Xing street to Marlborough name is but a
short distance, and the head of the proceesion bah
passed into the Royal garden long hefore the tail had
unwound itself out of Willis's Rooms. Very pretty and
homely looked that Royal garden as the brig htsuis threw
its unclouded null ince upon the scene. Green grass,
this trees, mateces of flower', a house fit for a "real
old English gentleman," some little children playing
on the laden, avid a gardener working quietly among his
shrubs in the distance, made up a picture perfect in its
way. At Fight c f the advancing procsesion the child-
r-n were withdrawn, the gardener laid down his tod's
ard disappeared, and a clear field was lift for the
generalship necessary to mass five hundred tn-n
and women in proper order. The Welsh chiefs
proved fully equal ti the meaeiou. With excellent
discioline, and almost in lard ct silence, the vocal
battalions formed three sides of a square, the four h
side being occupied by a group of empty gar len chains.
While waiting tor the Royal party, the chairs afore iaid
were wiffideawn within the shadow of the house, and
the spare re.olved itself into a section of a circle.
Hardly had this mauceuvre been quietly effected b-fore
the Prises and Prince., the Gland Duchess Czarevna,
the Grand Duchess of Mecklenborg•Strelitz, and
a flowering party, among whom was Mr. W. H. Glad-
stone M.P., dos 'ended the steps and took their seats,
the &lace. calling h-r title children round her. and
forming the centre of a I,froup for who h the Wash
visitors were "all eyes." The It cyal party was is.
coined in silence, a tentative "Hip" from some en.
thusiastic gentleman of the committee being
promptly suppressed SO out of the sailer of the
programme; and, without further ceremony, " Cara-
clog, gave the signal for "God Save the
Q teen " which was sung with a volume of
tone and tiuth of intonation quite remark-
able. " Islwyn Oen" (" The A. 12 Grove '') was the
next piece, and after it came Me. Briuley Richarde's
new hOd s mg, "Let the Hills Resound." A
spirited awl effective delivery of this work 60
gretihei the Prince and Princess that its repeti-
thin was commamled, and her Royal Hied:a-se
signified to the composer that she would eccept its
d, &call in to herself. " Lhylrlgyr h gwyr Harlsh"
(" March of the Men of liar lech ") and " Gc d Bless the
Prince-of Walee" completed a programme having the
double merit of brevity and appropriateness, and
every piece of which was magnificently rung. With
their own national melodies in band, the success of the
choir was ...wed, and nothing could have been better
than the et-sly rh)thm, perfect intonation, and grand
volume of tone that marked their p-rformance, and
that evidently caused no little surprise among the
illustrious audience. Tile Royal party scanned the
vocal host with obvious interest, and must have been
as much astonished as Isoudonera generally at the
union of soil artistic ability with so much that is
homely and unpreumc ling in appearance.
At the close of the laot piece, Canon Jenkins, Dr.
Price, and one or two other gentlemen, patrons of
the choir, were introduced to the Prince, and a like
honour was bestowed upon " Caradog." His Royal
Highness shook hands heartily with the clever
conductor; and, as he did so, five hundred faces
lit up with pride and gratification. The whole
choir seemed t feel that they, in the person if
their musical chief, had touched the Prince's hand ;
while "Caradog " himself looked as though the
moment were the proudest of his life, which, no doubt,
it was.

After inspecting a ham-lame cup presented to the
choir by their comp striots reeident in London,
His Royal Highness stepped forward, raised his hat,
and said : "I thank you all for coming here, and hope
that your visit has been as agreeable as your singing has
been excellent. It has given the Princess and myself
the greatest pleasure to receive you, and we wish you
a safe journey home." After this truly gracious speech
stentorian cheers burst forth, which must have
astonished the loungers in the neighbouring Park.
Three " Hurrahs " for the Prince, three for the Prin-
CORN, and three for the Royal Family were given in rapid
succession as the illustrious hosts retired. The rest is
soon told. In pert, et order the tire hundred visitors
retired frffn th 1 garden, and if nothing could ex-
ceed the kindness of Royalty, neither c :uld anything
exceed the propriety of those towards whom that kind-
ness was shown. Anything more satisfactory was im-
possible, and the Welsh f,.lk will carry home with
them a devotion to 'our Prince and Princess" such as
they never felt before.