Evening star., 1933-09-03

I form where the ElStedQfOd ChOlr OF not
less than 600 singers are seated on
| TERED seats.
Then the days are given over to the
competing artists. Poems and dramas
are read, the test compositions played
or sung and the crafts displayed. The
! final judgement Of the bards and druids
is announced, proceeded by a fanfare
of trumpets. The Arch-Druid names
the winner, proclaiming him to the four
| quarters of the earth with an accom-
panying flourish of trumpets At the
| indication of the Arch-Druid, two of
the leading bards descend into the au-
ditorium, where the winner has arisen
| to receive them, and with bard on
either side, he is escorted to the plat
| form to the music of harps, the ap-
plause of the assembly and the Crown
ing Song of Triumph sung by the Els
teddfod Choir
The picturesque Growing or Chair
ing of the newcomer as Bard of the
Eisteddfod" then takes place. Installed
in a magnificent chair. with a gold
chain about his neck as badge of office;
the great Gorsedd sword held over his
head by the bards, the winner is in
vested with his new honors with the re-
| cital OF verses written in the tradi-
| tional Cymric meters and made one
with his brother bards, who swear to
defend and support him.
This romantic ceremony dates back
| hundreds Of years when poet and min
strel contend for prizes after the man
ner OF the ancient Greeks" In order
to preserve the ancient Cymric tradi-
| tions IN more lasting form than the
folk song, the monarch. Prydain, sum-
moned a Gorsedd, or national meeting,
81 ;,k~
point OF conservation. The Order of
Bards, formed thousand years before
Christ, was appointed the custodians
| and divided into three divisions to ia
cllltate their work. The first were the
bards, the poets and musicians who
sang in praise of victories or special
| merits, the second, the ovates, or future
bards, who chanted the laws of the ma
| tion. and the third. the druids or
priests. who spoke of wisdom and morals
and preserved historical data.
A three-year novitiate was required
OF any candidate to the order and
corresponding three-year period of
study before advancement could be
awarded. Only a Bard of the Chair
was permitted to teach or to present
| candidate for admittance Down
through the centuries this institution
has been Kept intact, passing into the
control OF. the people themselves when
| deprived OF royal protection after the
reign OF Elizabeth. For many years this
carnival of art was strictly national
affair, but gradually foreign celebrities
were invited to take part, and the fes-
tival became modernized except for the
retention of some of the quaint cere-
monies Of the ancient meetings.
Twice the winning contestant has
hailed from America In 1926, at the
Eisteddfod held in Swansea, the Cleve-
land Orpheus Male Choir was pro-
claimed victor amid unparalleled en-
thusiasm. A prize of $500 was awarded
and gold-mounted ivory baton pre-
sented to the conductor, Chafles P.
Dave. The journey of this choir to
the homeland was made possible by the
generosity of the Welsh American, Ed
win S. Griffiths, who donated $4,000
for that purpose. In 1923 the Anthra-
cite Male Chorus was specially formed
to compete for thte coveted honor
Composed of 80 per cent Welsh-born or
Welsh descended members. with a
completing number of Irish and Eng
lish, 1t managed, during the short eight
months Of its existence before the great
event, to earn its entire expenses for
the trip through concert giving. Then.
under the expert conducting Of Luther
Basset, 1t won the musical victory of
the Eisteddfod amid the unselfish ac-
claim OF the native rivals.