The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1880-11-26 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

BRIDGEND MECHANICS' INSTITUTE  SOIREE.  This annual event wttis held in the Town-hall, on Wednesday, and was commenced by an excellent tea, provided under the superintendence of a number of ladies, who kindly provided trays; the oak* being supplied by Mr C. E. Perry, Bridgend. Upwards of eighty partook of tea. At the after-meeting the Rev F. W. Edmondes (the president of the institute) presided. He was set down to deliver an address, but this the rev, gentleman judiciously avoided, the programme being a lengthy one. The attendance was large, and the receipts were in excess of the previous year. The programme was of the usual kind, consisting of vocal and literary competition°, and although there was no novelty introdueed, this did not lessen the interest shown in the efforts of amateurs to please. Some variations were made, and thanks to the painstaking efforts of the judges, the tediousness of former anniversaries was obviated, and the best selections were preserved for public approbation. Miss Lizzie Williams, R.A.M., of Swansea, opened the meeting with a song, "She wandered down the mountain side," and in order to give the musical adjudicators time to complete their onerous duties the mental arithmetic adjudication was de- , livered. For this six boys presented them- ! selves, and the judge had given them fourteen exercises; one failed entirely, another mastered one only, another had four marks, and Lewis Edwards was successful in all; L. P. Williams (both pupils dnder Mr Hartshorne, Myrtle College School,) getting second prize. In the Welsh air competition for males there were seventeen entries; Thomas Thomas, Kenfig Hill, being first, and John Austin second. The next coinpetition was the best singing of a quartette, and of two entries one sang a laughing chorus very well; the alto, however, lacking animation. "J. E. and party" 'gave "The Pony." The adjudicator remarkedthat the parties had mistaken their task, and reminded them that a chorus was not a quartette, and that five could not take part in the latter. A fifth member had been espied beating time, which was not fair. The prize was given to Isaac Isaac and party. Miss Williams, who was in splendid voice, then sang "The Nightingale's trill," and after rendering this difficult piece in good style, some portion of the audience called for an escoer, when the young lady sang "The Ash Grove." In the English song competition there were five entries. Miss Davies (Bridgend Board Schools) the first, and Miss C. Thomas (Tondu) second. The Garth Glee Party proved to be the only entry for the glee competition, and they were the two quartet parties rolled into one; to them the prize was awarded. The judges said that the rendering of the glee was not at all satisfactory; the voices were not well balanced, but they did not see their way clear to withhold the prize. In the reading competition, a passage was selected from a daily paper; Samuel Boundy proved the best, and M. Hughes was the only other competitor. There were three selected to give the recitation, "The Downfall of Poland e Lewis Edwards was declared the best. In the English song competition, three were called on to sing, out of fifteen entries. J. Austin sang "The White Squall," and was in excellent voice; Thomas Thomas sang " The Holy Friar ;" and Mr. Evan Rogers, "The Vagabond." The adjudicators stated that there was much difficulty in making their selections, but their final award was in favour of John Austin, Ist; and Thomas Thomas, etnd. We may add that Evan Rogers acquitted himself well. Those who had entered for best writing were all declared good, L. P. Williams, Bridgend, being proflounced best, and J. Allen, Tondu, second. For reading music at sight, there was only one appeared, and the adjudicator, in giving the prize, said that only iwo notes had been missed by Thomas Thomas, the recipient. Miss Lizzie Williams then sang "The Bells of Aberdovey," and in complying with a rapturous encore, she substituted the popular song, "Twickenham Ferry." Out of a numerous class Thomas Thomas and William Thema% and Mrs. Richards (Bridgend), and Miss M. Davies (Board Schools) were chosen to compete for the duett prize, and in explaining that there was much difficulty in deciding, because of the character of the pieces, the judges gave their fiat in favour of the ladies. The prize for freehand drawing was given' to T. D. Llewellyn; the second to James Allen, Tende. For model prize drawing, H. H. Bishop (son of Mr Bishop, gamekeeper, Dunraven Castle,) Ist; W. tehappel, Bridgend, end. In the Welsh air competition for females Miss M. Davies and Mrs W. G. Richards were called upon, and they were respectively given first and second prizes. The dialogue prize was given to Messrs W. O. Davies and A. A. Randall (Maesteg), the only competitor?. the selection being from Shakespeare's King Henry IV." Isaac Isaac and party were awarded the prize for the best trie, and the contests were wound-up by the usual impromptu speech, which gave the juveniles a chance of displaying their precocity. The elders were, however, the winners, and "(Joiner Bach," an adept at this sort of thing' won first prize, Jonathan Evans being second. ies Williams then sang " Within a mile of Edinboro' Town ;" and after that the usual votes of thanks to ine president, the ladies who pretided at the trap, and to Mrs. Millard for presiding at the piano; the preceieiiegs were closed with the National Anthem. We should a(1,1 that the various details of the meeting were carried out by Mr C. W. Scott, the secretary to the institute. The a,l) udieators were —Music, Mr I)avtl Davies, Merthyrinawr ; Mr J. 11. Dyer, and Mr APteaul, Bridgend. Reading, dialogue, recitation, Le., Mr F. Moon, Mr 'l'. Stock wood) jun., and Mr T. 0. Smith. Writing, Mr Stockwood. Mental arithmetic, the Her. J. Bowen.  The body of a wan named Pliondde was discovered on Friday suspended from a tree in a wood near Pontypridd, life apparendy having been ext:net many hours. The deceared is supposed to have committal suicide in consequence -of public feeling beim against him on account, of a prosecution for ill4treatmng a worklicuse .boy whew he had adopted  MEETING OF GUARDIANS,