New-York tribune., 1921-07-31
Second Post-War
Music Festival at
Harlecll, Wales

| in The Manchester Guardian:
High summer reiGned at Harlech on
the eve Of its second postwar festival,
in happy contrast to the flooding rains
of last year; but still the scene seems
laid out much as if it were for the first
act of "Parsifain--- Cardigan Bay,
here no moro than lake, and across it
over the hills the one cloud Of the sky
hung like wine between US and The eve
ming sun. The Castle, one might mag
inc, held the Knights of the Grail, and
in the vale running down to yarmouth
one had seen roses as plenteous as in
Klingsor's magic garden. Such natural
heights as Harlech are not easily to be
stormed by music, and a considerable
musical success must be achieved before
it makes much impression against The
grandeurs of nature herself. The Har-
lech festival came into being in 1867, and
under the dual flag Of music and tenn
pcrance, but it's founder, Owen Roberts,
schoolmaster Of Talsarnau, d little
musical spirit, and his choir is still one
of the finest choirs in the festival.
"To-day the festival is held by special
permission Of the crown within the
| Castle Of Harlcch itself 1t is free
from the tedium of competitions,
which, however, educational they may
be, are opposed to the true festival
feeling, for which certain ceremonial
character is essential. The foursquare
formation of the castle hall is fortu-
nate for the disposal of a large mass
of singers. OF these there are consid-
erably more than thousand, and they
are comprised of eighteen choirs, placed
separately and in order surrounding the
| orchestra, the whole occupying a COM
plete side of the building and about a
course of the day most of the choirs
sang separately pieces chosen by them
selves. Every choir thus contributes
something definite toward the days
music, and the choirs evidently take q
great pride in that responsibility.
"This year is the centenary of the
birth of Ambrose Lloyd, the most loved
of the Welsh composers of church mu-
sic. His music was kept very promi-
nently throughout the day.
"Most of tho anthems and other
pieces given by the choirs had short
solos. The Portmsdoc choir brought a
small orchestra of its own, and made
quite brave show with one Llyd's
anthems: All the Kingdoms Of the
Earth but we liked best the finer
singing OF the unaccompanied voices,
and most of all that of the Llanbedr
choir in sacred part-song, Dear
Soul of Mine, by Richards, of Bangor.
"The days proceedings began with
an orchestral rehearsal conducted by
DR.. Walford Davies on the edge of the
hill, pn the grass outside of the castls.
and overlooking the bay DR.. Davies
had himself arranged a fine old Psalm
tune melody composed by one Stephen
Llwyd, a sailor, yet smacking of the
/ Oi0 DOAioAl -hNUO oey iC, anu III iCo
formidable reach of melody laid out
much like the climax of Strauss's
j Death and Transfguration.' DR.. De-
vies had exploited its severer features
in his arrangement, and brought in the
chorus at the close in a very effective
manner. Dr.. Davies had also arranged
an old Anglesey slumber song or sleep
song, and set it very prettily and
tenderly for the instruments, yet in a
very simple and charming way
"There were lso brought to light for
the first time two prize pieces composed
FOR the competition of the National
Eisteddfod in 1911 by young COM
poser. DR.. r. Maldwyn Price, awho now
occupies collegiate post at Malvern.
The second was merely routine sort
of salteretto, but the first was slower
movement of greater value, in which a
faculty for the expressive use of mita-
tive passages was at one point notably
displayed. There also was cleverly
contrasted arrangement of two Welsh
airs in the form of a fantasia, by Mr.
Hubert Davies, nephew of DR.. Mary
Davies, the onetime famous singer.
"The popular success Of the day was
that obtained by Mr.. Herbert Brown in
Handel's % RLddier Than the Cherry.
Mr. Redfern, the fautist, played the
difficult obbligato supremely we'll. Nine
Annie Davies Wynne, who was we'll
| known as a fine singer whom under Mr.
Richard Evans at the Manchester Royal
College of Music, sang Softly Awakes
My Heart
"The meeting throughout the day was
interspersed with really fine selection
of Welsh hymn tunes, some old ard
some hardly les sremarkable in their
quality written by amateurs who had
no other way than through the nymn
tune of expressing their musical nature {"