The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-02-21
SONS Of WALES
WILL CELEBRATE
Preparing for an Elaborate
Observance of St.
David's Day.
On March I Odd Fellows Hall
Will Be- the Scene of a
Big Festival.
Attractive Exercises for the Benefi
CT the Poor and to Promote
Sociabi ity.

The sons, daughters and descendants OF
Wales residing in this City and vicinity
are making preparations for their annual
celebration on the 1sI of March (St. Da-
vid's day..
Odd Fellows Hall will be the scene OF
the musical exercises on the evening of
this day, and the colors of the Welsh, or.
historically speaking, the ancient Brit
ons-green and white, accompanied by
the leek-surmounted by the stars and
stripes, will be much in evidence on this
occasion.
The real origin OF wearing the leek" on
ST. Davids day is involved in consider
able obscurity. The most commonly re-
ceived tradition is that about the wear 693
Cadwallon, the King of the Britons, led
his men to battle against the Saxon forces
on the eve of ST. David's day King Cad
WALTON perceived the enemy disguised in
the garb of his own men, and to distin.
guish them from the Saxons he COM
manded his men to wear the leek. His
tory does not record whether the odor of
the leek was factor in the fray or not
However, the Saxons were vanquished :;
hence the celebration.
Welsh celebrations take the form of
musical festivals. This is not to be Won
dered at, as "the whole of Wales is a sea
of song" and its sons and daughters are
endowed with voices of exceptional sweet
ness, clearness and fexibility, that, like
birds, they seem to sing because they can
not help it, and with wild abandon and
enthusiasm that is eminently contagious.
Whether this gift is due to climatic III
al
known, but that it is a distinctly natural
trait is undoubied. For a Welshman to
have voice is as natural as to have a
tongue, and to sing as natural as 10 walk.
1t is, therefore, not surprising that some
of our best vocalists and musical con-
ductors hail from gallant little Wales"
The length OF the musical programme
will of necessity debar long orations, and
speaking will be confined to a short adj
dress by representative Welsh Ameri-
can-Taliesin Evans-who will preside.
The Cymmrodion Club, under the d.
rection of David Lewis, will open the pro-
ceedings by rendering 1.-THE Siar-spangled
Banner" to be followed by "The March
of the Men of Harlech." which Mr. Glad
stone considers the greatest of all war
marches. This Welsh male chorus viii!
also sing "Cambria's Song of Freedom"
IT. J. Davies) "Welsh Airs" (Rogers)
and "Let the Hills and Wales Resound'
(Richards).
j. c. Hughes, the eminent basso, will
sing in Welsh "Y Gadlais" ("The Battle
Cry").
Mrs. Mile Flynn Wratten, Mrs.
Eunice Westwater and d. M. Lawrence
will act as vocalists; Miss Marie Kim ball
will play a selection of Welsh airs on the
harp; Margaret Davies. the phenomenal
child pianist; Professor Jose Andonegui,
the violinisi, and Professors r. d. Burmese
and Emil ACruells, accompanies, will
also take rart.
The musical performance will be fol.
lowed by dancing, which will be kept up
until late hour.
OF late years st. David's day has not
been celebrated regularly III this City, and
with the view of holding celebrations on
every recurring March in the future
society is about to be organized. 1t will
probably be named 'Cymmrodion So
ciety," but "Llanfairpwllgyngyll
bwllsantisiliogogoch Society," has
been suggested in case that "Cymmro-
dion" is not Understanding Welsh word.
Its object will be TO extend relief and as
sistance to all deserving applicants and
Its social features will be promoled in
various ways, calculated to keep up and
renewing old friendships, refreshing
memories with "reminiscences of early
youth and warming mp the hearts OF men
with patriotic sentiments. 1t will bring
ell classes together and make all feel that
touch of nature which makes all human
kind akin
The chairman of the committee of ar
rangements is James Smith; secretary, r.
}. Hughes; treasurer. o. S. Owens. The
following are the mem bers of the sub
committees: Attorney HUI Jones, David
hughes u. J. Lloyd, Arthur w. Jones,