Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

"Old Brecknock Chips." 42 was to take place in that Hall in the evening. With his Lordship's address closed the proceedings of the morning, and the company, who were about 600, began to separate, after having been much gratified in attending to the interesting transactions for about three hours. On Wednesday, the votaries of the Cambrian Muse met between nine and ten o'clock in the morning, for the purpose of hearing the Welsh prize compositions recited, which had been post¬ poned from the preceding day, when the Rev. John Jenkins, of Kerry, Montgomeryshire, was called to the chair. The poem on the Victory of Trafalgar was, in the absence of the author, recited by Mr John Blackwell, and excited no small applause in the delivery. The ode on the promulgation of the Law on Mount Sinai was next delivered by the author himself. Copy of the Prize Englyn, o" Stanza on the Sun. Gloyw was siriol glyw seirian, gwiw nawsaidd, Gynheswr holl Anian, Gw yr Haul araul, eirian, Bywyd y dydd, byd o dan ! Rendered into English: Phoebus, monarch of the sky, Nature's soul and nature's eye ; Darkness at thy genial ray Turns and blushes into day. Two concerts on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, at the Town Hall, and a morning performance in St. Mary's Church, constituted the musical portion of the entertainments of the meeting. We give the selections entire, for the reasons before stated, and we again call the reader's attention to the indulgence of the amor patriae they display, and which we can but consider as the most honourable as well as the most peculiar trait. [We omit the concert programmes, owing to the exigencies of space]. It will be understood at a glance that the charm of these selections lies in melody and m those qualities of universal acceptation which render a performance delightful to the many, without making them unworthy the scientific, because most of the principal parts are of striking excellence and the chef d'ceuvres of the performers. Here all was satisfaction; the singers apportioned their efforts to the weight they had to sustain—the encores were numerous, and the exertions of the committee and the conductor for the general pleasure of the audiences were perfectly appreciated. Mr Parry merited indeed the very honourable vote of thanks given him by the noble patrons and the committee of management after the Eisteddfod, for he super¬ intended all the arrangements for building the orchestras, &c, and devoted himself with equal success to the various departments that required his assistance The receipts were fully adequate to the purposes—namely, to the remuneration of the performers—the charge of the premiums and medals — the gratuities to aged bards and minstrels—with a surplus towards the fund for the support of the widows of the clergy. In a word, the gratification was great, was universal. FKLDAY, APEIL NOTES. A BRECON "CHIP."—Looking through an old copy of a London Sunday newspaper—The News, dated 10th November, 1805, and containing an account of the death of Nelson and the battle of Trafalgar, I found the following notice under the head of "Marriages":—"At Brecon, Thomas " Powell, aged 22, to Ann Jones, spinster, aged 66 : '' the old lady appeared highly pleased with her " bargain." J. B. A PRIZE-WINNER AT THE BRECON EISTEDDFOD OF 1822.—The interesting accounts we have given of the two Brecon eisteddfodau of 1822 and 1826 willmake the following note interest¬ ing:—Henry Humphreys, the harpist, of Welsh¬ pool, won the silver harp at Brecon Eisteddfod in 1822. Humphreys used to play a beautiful Welsh air called "Holl ieuenctyd Cymru " (All ye Cam¬ brian youth), with his own variations. At the Wrexham Eisteddfod, in 1820, Humphreys executed 4' Pen Rhaw " with variations in a masterly manner. At a bardic meeting held at the Rev. John Jenkins' house at Kerry, on the 20th January, 1820, the Rev. Walter Davies addressed the following " englyn " to Humphreys:— " Poed heb loes hir oes a hedd—i'r ifanc, Er afiaeth a mawredd ; Bydd Harri, goleuni gwledd, Cywir don, cured wynedd." Humphreys also won the silver harp at Welshpool Eisteddfod in 1824. The Editob. 13th, 1888. TREFECCA COLLEGE : ITS ORIGIN : THE FIRST STUDENT.—Trefecca House, in the parish of Talgarth, an ancient structure, with the date over the entrance " 1176," was purchased by Lady Hun¬ tingdon, and was opened as a college for religious and literary instruction, and the chapel dedicated to the preaching of the gospel, on the 24th August, 1768, or just 120 years ago. It was really opened on Lady Huntingdon's birthday. The Rev. George Whitefield preached from the words : "In " all places where I record my name, I will " come unto thee and bless thee." On the following Sabbath day this renowned preacher " addressed a congregation of some thousands, who " assembled in the court before the college." A Mr Glazebrook was the first student proposed, and the first that entered the college at Trefecca. Fletcher of Madeley thus described Mr Glazebrook to the pious Countess, in his letter of proposal:—" His " name is James Glazebrook, collier and getter of " iron-stone in Madeley Wood. He is now twenty - " three—by look nineteen ; he has been awakened " seven years ; he has been steady from the begin- " ning of his profession .... He hath no mean " gift in singing and prayer, his judgment and sense '' are superior to his station .... One difficulty '' stood in the way; he maintains by his labour his " aged mother," and so forth. We further learn of Mr Glazebrook " that from a very early period of " life he was of a remarkably witty and satirical " turn of mind ; and not being under much control *' from the impressions of religion, there was so " little bar to its full exercise, that he has been