New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-23
VELSHMEN SHOW THEIR SKILL.
PRIZES GIVEN AT THE HISTEDDFOD.

MANY CONTESTS IN SINGING, SPEAKING AND RE-
The intertwined flags Of the United States and
Great Britain decked Association Hall yesterday
afternoon, and the audience that assembled TO
enjoy the annual Eisteddfod read these ancient
Bardc inscriptions displayed on the four walls
of he hall-"Y Gwir Yn Erbyn Byd' the
truth against the world " Ira Nor Ira Brython'
las long as there is sea there will be Welshman)'
"Goreu ART ART Dysg" 1.-THE best weapon is the
weapon of knowledgc and Des Byd 1T latin
Gyrnraeg' the Welsh language-may IL i've LOT
ever
The Eisteddfod has been held in New-1 orK
every wear since 1875, so that New-Yorbers hardly
need to be informed that it is Welsh institution
of great antiquity, which formerly had religious
significance buv is celebrated in this country
chiefly for the purpose of keeping alive the memory
Of the ancient gores Of Wales and an ac
ouaintance with the Welsh language. Two ses-
sions afternoon and evening, were held yesterday
and perhaps two-thirds Of each audience were
Welshmen. Among them were Thomas L. James
and G.. w. Griffith who presided over the TWO
sessions respectively William Miles, PRESIDENT Oh
the society the Rev. d. Parker Morgan, William
Courtney. Josiah d. Evans, Henry Blackwell
Robert w. Hughes, the Rev. John Evans the
Rev. Dr. Frederick Evans, of Philadelphia; ITO
fcssor William Apwadoc and Richard >. Lewis
The singing Of the national song, Hen W lad ~
MADAM The Land of my Fathers, opened the
afternoon session, Professor Apmadoc and William
Courtney singing it in Welsh and Engnsh re-
spectivey and the audience joining in the chorus.
Then President Miles and Mr.. James delivered ad
dresses of welcome, and some Bardic addresses
followed. -,
The first competition was a duet for male
voices bass and tenor and five couples entered
no ind AIamauOC,
attended siXty-cight ElsteddfOdS, ana TINS com
petition the best OF its KIND he had eN hearu
The prize was awarded to the second couple
Wilbur Gum and Perry Avcrill, both Americans,
the points of superiority being beauty OF tone and
Thrn Edward Cornell Zabrisllie, boy of
fourteen sang in a beautiful soprano voice Who
is Sylvia" and, there being no competition, he
was awarded the prize of So
and Edith rccitcd "Y Nhu," which sounded like
" An Hoo Edith got first prize and Eunicc the
second. . .
Two male quartettes, the Callcott Quartette, of
Plymouth, Penn, and the Courtney OF TINS cry,
contended in d" The Flower OF Liberty. The
Courtney Quartette sang with great spirit ana
Three awards for TRANSACTIONS were next on the
programme but only one was made This was to
Mr. Apdaniel, of New York, who vanquished ten
competitors in the translation Of hymn from
English into Welsh.
contralto solo awakened much interest from
the fact that one of the fair singers gave as her
pscudonym frankie Folsom She divided the
prize with Miss Alice Mcpherson Frankit's
real name was afterward announced as being
Emily L. Parry.
The funniest part of the programme, followed
It consisted Of impromptu speeches, limited to
three minutes, and the orators did not know their
subjects until they had made their Lows. The
first man OF about thirty-iiye years, was badly
ratified" He pulled his mustachc, said few
words then rubbed his streaming brow, let of
another sentence, tuggcd again at his mustd lie,
and finally fed, while the audience laughed until
the tears came. Nos. and were much better,
although the former ran dry in two minutes,
and had TO take fresh start The prize went
to No g. Hugh Roberts, eX-President Of the St
David's Society of this city. The subject being
Cranks
Two competitors appeared in tie tenor solo,
The Soldiers Er,vc.- and both did well. Clinton
Elder OF Ncw-YorlI. secured the $40 part
song competitions Sleep my Darling" completed
Choral Society, William Edward Mulgan, con-
ductor contested the s75 prize with the Courtney
Choir. led by William Courtney. Both the pop
ular applause and the critical adjudicator decided
in favor Of the Courtney Choir
The chief features of the evening session were tho
Pennillon singHr 80 Professor ApmadOc. the sIrht
singing by fonr Quartetes and the second compe-
titon between the Gou rod and Courtney societies.
PennillIon singing the language and after
tho mode of the old Welsh harpists means
that tho PLAYER adheres strictly to the mel
odv while rhe singer changes his metre
with every repeition of the melody, strikes
in different places Introduces the most difficult
stauzas but manages always 20 end with the melo
dy. One stanZa sung by Professor Apnadoc mas
not n single cOnsonant:
"OT wy wan a-oi Ia
ri wrau wea;
VIVA 81 We ana
Al weau yu euieu ia"
The singers at sight received the Keynote. u
then q piece of music and were told to 60 ahead.
Thev in all sorts of KEYS and two qnartets re-
tired discounted. The last number, the choral
comuetitiOn. was the most lmDOrtant or the daV