The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-10
JUDGE EDWARDS Travels
He Relates His Experiences in Europe
and Little Wales.
PLEASED A LARGE AUDIENCE
An Interesting Story Of Two Months
Summer Trip-Special Reference TO
the Great National EisteddfOd.
No Place Like America.

| The seating capacity of the First
Welsh Congregational churcn, on Sou'h
FNiain avenue, was taxed last night ny
| an audience composed mostly Of Welsh
l men and women, who gathered to near
| Judge Fl. Edwards lecture on his last
| summers trip to Wales and Europe.
| To be more exact the word tell In
| stead of lecture" should be used. as
| Judge Edwards was heard in his happi-
| est and most merry vein and told an
| Intensely interesting account U ms
| travels across the water, casting ASIDE
| formal phrases and expression, put re.
lating his experiences In fash,oh that
| delighted his hearers.
The address lasted for almost two
hours and the proceeds will be de-
| voted in equal proportions to the
church and the West Side library funds.
As Judge Edwards remarked. trip
| that lasted two months could not be
| completely told in one sitting. SO he
| skinned hurriedly over the facts that
would least interest the audience and
dwelt as completely as time permitted
on subjects most adapted to the occa-
sion. Possibly his audience seemed
most interested in the great national
eisteddfod at Llanelly. From his re-
marks it was gathered that this festi-
val Is the distinctively national institu-
ton of Wales, in that no other country
has anything like II. 1t has elevated
Wales as much as anything has elevat-
ed any other country.
Llanelly itself has nothing graceful
or ornamental about 1t. Its popula-
tion is 10000 and almost that number
of persons come to the town for the
eisteddfod. The building in which the
last eisteddfod was held was the new
til ~ tp.I Ia
finished and for the use of which $1,000
was paid. 1t is 2OOx14O feet and seated
140OO persons and on one day the tick
cts showed that %. 900 persons had en-
tered the building. A rule of the fes-
tival Is that only one session, no mat
ter at what time it terminates, shall
occur on ore day and that a concert
shall be held each evening.
Large Number OF Choirs Entered.
In the competition Of choirs from
thirty-eis'ht to sixty entered in the pre-
liminaries. In the soprano competi-
tion DR.. Parry. the adiudtcator, could
not discriminate among six singers and
that number We're returned to the
Judges Eventually the number was
reduced to four and then DR.. Parry
made his decision only because the
Judges insisted upon it. The female
choirs We're commonplace, but the male
choirs were excellent
In the choral contests the adiudi
Gators were concealed from the view of
the choir and vice-versa. The adjudE-
Gators were located in pit about sew
enty feet from the stage.
Judge Edwards said he had often
been asked how a Scranton choir would
compare with the choirs competing in
Wales national festival. He said that
| in range and quality of voices a Scran-
| ton choir would compare favorably. and
| possibly be better than those across the
water. But that the Wales choirs csr-
tanly excel in several important fea-
lures: First, they have a clearer and
| more distinct enunciation, and at the
| national eisteddfod every word could
be distinctly heard in all parts of the
large building: second. the foreign
choirs have a greater precision of tone;
third. they use no copies which hide
the face and smother the flow of voice.
It makes a great difference for the
spectator to see faces lighted and all
glow with the inspiration they receive
from their own efforts. In one choir
that competed in the national festival
every member was able to read his or
her music at the second rehearsal.
There the rehearsals continue for six
months. The choirs contain no drones
or drftwood; each member is sing
er, good singer, and everyone sings.
They are perfect units which neceS-
sarilly comprise a perfect whole For
these reasons only do the Welsh chOirs
overshadow any which might be or
ganized in Scranton.
Reception for the Americans.
At the eisteddfod Judge Edwards met
all the poets and singers. All Welsh
men are poets or singers, or think they
are. he said. One of the most delightful
tion, arranged in a small hall for the
Americans. The event was attended
by seven or eight hundred persons. sew
enty-five or 100 of them being of the
nationality for which the affair was
given.
The charge is being brought against
the national eisteddfod that 1t Is q
mere singing contest, when. originally,
it was intended to be means of ad-
vance and profit in vocal art. A move
ment Is now on foot for acquiring a
government charter so that the support
will be only by the government, and
that money making and personal ad-
vantage may be eliminated.
In Liverpool great change has taken
place since Judge Edwards presence in
that city twenty years ago. Then it
was dirty and apparently devoid of
pride; now it has its municipal light
and water works, it's municipal halls.
concerts. and various other things
which makes the city delight instead
of nightmare, and suggests to the
American the wish that cities in his
own country enjoyed the same policy
of municipal control as those abroad.
An instance was shown In a concert in
SIT. Georges hall. where. during Judge
Edwards visit, great London artist
gave an organ recital and used an in
strument which was second to only
one in all Europe. The price of admis-
sion was one penny, and, although over
1000 persons were present. the proceeds
paid only the ushers. The city did 1t
for the benefit Of it's poorer citizens,
and this was only one of many similar
movements.
Connects Present and Past.
WFlos was referred to as unimportant
geographically and important historic
ally. as country that dates from the
ancient. bridges the mediaeval and ex-
listed with Rome and Greece. Today IL
is as lively and fresh as girl blooming
into womanhood. It's 1000. 900 inhabit-
ants are contained in twelve counties.
in one OF which one-half of the lnhabft-
ants live. The country is only 146 miles
long by 55 miles wide, but 1t has made a
great fuss In history. Wales of today is
a new country and now has a bloom of
youth on her cheek. Its power Is prom
ising and borders on the great, and the
reason Is found chiefly in the advanced
cause Of higher education. Her schools
are as good as ours and her three COL
leges. one each In northern, middle and
South Wales, have the power to grant
degrees the same as Oxford and Cam
bridge.
London. Judge Edwards referred to
as a compromise between the ashes of
the past and the progress of the pres
ent, and a place where one should