The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-03-16 00:00:00

"THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD, TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 1852.

LIVERPOOL EISTEDDFOD.

A Welsh Bardic Congress, or Eisteddfod, was held at
the Concert-hail, Lord Nelson-street, on Wednesday
evening, and was very numerously attended. The Re,".
D. James, M.A., (Dewi o Dydfed,) presided ; and with
him on the platform were—the Rev. William Hughes,
Messrs. J. A. Picton, Robert Wynne, Wm. Jones, Ellis
Jones, Rev. Wm. Williams, Talhaiarn, E. W. Thomas,
D. E. Owen, W. E. Jeffreys, D. R.`Jones, &c.
The PRESIDENT opened the proceedings by referring to
the two previous meetings, held last-September, on which
occasion they were obliged to defer the adjudication of
certain prizes in order to elicit further competition, only
one essay on the '4 Last Half Century" having heen sent
in. Since then two more had been received, and the
awards would now be made. Phis meeting was held in
some degree for that purpose, and also for the purpose of
bringing before the meeting the subjects of Welsh litera-
ture, Welsh poetry, and Welsh loyalty, as always inte-
resting to a Welsh audience, and he hoped not less so to
their English friends, who had come there to honour
them. (Loud applause.) He thought they never could
find in the catalogue of virtues which adorned the national
character of any people any that stood more prominently
forth than nationality, loyalty, and religion ; and he meant
to claim, on behalf of the 'Welsh people, those three
virtues, as shining forth in their greatest lustre and pro-
minency in the present day, throughout the length and
breadth of his native land. (Hear, hear, and applause,)
As a means of perpetuating patriotic feeling, the rev.
gentleman strongly insisted on the importance of culti-
vating the Welsh language.
The address of the president was followed by a solo on
the harp—ayr, "Ar hyd nos," by Mr. Morris. Mr.
Lewis Edwards, whose herdic appellation was said to be
Llywelyn Turog, having recited some verses, the president
next called upon Mr. John Jones (Talhaiarn), who gave a
Welsh recitation, which was enthusiastically received.
He also recited one of Moore's melodies in English, and
as translated into Welsh. Mr. Jonathan then gave a song
called "The Bard's Departure," (Ymadawiad y Bardd.)
The Rev. 'William 'Williams, (Caldefryn,) addressed the
meeting in Welsh ; after which came another harp solo—
air, " Dafydd v Garreg las." by Miss Mary Ann Brewer,
(Malt Ann Eirias.) The solo was very skilfully and
sweetly played, and the young lady was presented by the
president, on behalf of the committee of the Liverpool
Eisteddfod, with the second volume of " The Welsh
Harper," as a testimony of the talent displayed by her as
a performer upon the Welsh harp.. Mr. J. A. Picton
having been called upon by the president, addressed a
few words to the meeting, expressing the pleasure he had
felt at being present. The first part of the entertainment
concluded with a Welsh recitation, by an amateur (Mr.
Edward Stafford Jones.) A harp duet—air, " Codiad yr
haul," by M. A. Eirias and Mr. Morris, commenced the
second part, and the performance elicited rapturous
applause. Then followed an address, English and Welsh,
by Talhaiarn ; after which Mr. Rowlands gave a song,
"Caniad y Gog i Feirionydd." Mr. D. R. Jones enter-
tained the audience with a solo on the harp—air, " Pen
rhaw." The president then awarded the prizes for the
best essays, in the Welsh language, on the " Last Half
Century," which were offered by the committee of the
Liverpool Eisteddfod. The first prize (X 7), was awarded
to Mr. D. Griffith, jun., Bethem, near Carnarvon ; and,
the second, (aE3 105.,) to Mr. Thomas Richards,
printer, Merthyr Tydvil. The award of the prizes was
succeeded by an Irish air, played on the harp, by Mr.
Morris; after which Talhaiarn gave a specimen of the
ancient style of Welsh penillion singing. Mr. Robert
Wynne proposed, and Mr. W. P. Jeffrey seconded, a vote
of thanks to the Rev. D. James, for the able manner in
which he had discharged the duties of president. The
compliment was briefly acknowledged by the rev. gentle-
man, and the entertainment was brought to a close about
ten o'clock, by the whole of the company singing " God
save the Queen."