Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-11-23
To
Be FEATURE Of
PANAMA AIR
Quaint Welsh Festival Expected
to Attract $4,000 Singers
From u. S. and Europe.

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. "a
Through a continuous musical festi-
val to be held at the Panama Pacific
International Exposition in 1915 an
effort is being made to unite the mus-
cal interests Of all nations into a sin
gle great expression of the univers Al
art a.
One of the notwithstanding of the
musical festivals is that anticipated
through the 1915 eisteddfod.
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is
one Of the most interesting musical
festivals in the world. Year after
year it is held by the Welsh people IN
the little principality, which has been
termed the Celtic fringe, and where
the most honored of all Celtic trad
tons are maintained with the same
enthusiasm as in the distant days
of the early Britons when the Druids
of Wales were the leaders and teach
ers of European culture.
Rarely is 1t that the eisteddfod is
held outside the limits of Welsh ter
ritory, but there have been occasions
when an event Of national Importance
has been celebrated in other coun-
tries.
Great Prizes Offered,
At the 1915 National Edsteddfod the
prizes awarded for choral and maie
competitions will exceed any that
have ever been given any previous
eisteddfod either in Wales or else
where.
Twenty thousand dollars will be Of
fered for the chief choral competition
and $4,000 for the male choir.
At recent eisteddfod held at Pitts
burg there were, perhaps, 10000
Welsh people. It is expected that that
number win be far exceeded at san
Francisco. The prizes are tempting.
The event Of the exposition Is in it.
self an inducement to take people
from far-off countries to San Fran
cisco to participate with America N
her celebration of so great an inter-
national event as the completion Of
the Panama Canal.
The winners of the two chief events
in Pittsburg-the Scranton (Pa.) Cho-
raj Union, which carried away the
chief choral prize, and the Rhondda
Male Voice Choir, whose members
came all the way from South Wales
TO win the $4,000 male choir prize
both will be at San Francisco in 1918
There will also be various choirs from
America, and Wales resolved to win
some of the worthy laurels.
While the singing competitions ara
the most important and probably tha
most attractive in the session"
which is the meaning Of the word
eisteddfod, and which will last for
a week or more, there are other vast
ly important items in the doings of
the national gathering which will pc
OF intense interest to music iovere
and TO those concerned in the artistic
upliftment of a peorle.
Reward for Bard.
A large prize will be offered for the
Bard of the Eisteddfod, which is the
original institution of the Druidic Els
teddfod. Poets are called upon 20
write an ode upon the great event OF
the Year The ode is judged by the
gorsedd which is the executive Of
the Order of Druids, md the writ n
of the winning ode is enthroned upon
a chair hewn out of solid oak. The
chaired bard is the hero of the
eisteddfod. There are other lesser
bards, crowned and otherwise deco
rated for minor compositions in mu-
sic and poetry.
1t is probable that the subject Of the
1915 ode will be the completion of tho
Panama Canal.
In Wales the ode has to be written
in Welsh, but 1t Is likely that the 1915
ode may be written either in Welsh or
in English, so that the competition
may be made al broad as possible.
There will be about half a dozen
male choirs who will compete for
Wales. The Welsh choirs are com
posed chiefly of Golfers, and their
enthusiasm enables them to put
deal of money aside to help the fund
for the bringing Of the party to wher
ever large prizes and honors are to be
gained.