Welsh Journals

In Swansea a commencement with open air education was made last summer. Playground classes were held at several of the schools. Collap- sible removable desks and chairs or old discarded desks were used, and this enabled the teachers to take the children back to school when the weather was unfavourable. Some of the classes were out until the late autumn. An open-air classroom was erected in Dyfatty Park which adjoins Dyfatty Girls' School. The children attending it were all selected from amongst the delicate and under-nourished children of this school. A feature of this classroom is that it cannot be closed on one side-the only protection along that side being provided by means of a glass verandah. The classroom is not heated, yet in spite of this the children have occupied it continuously this winter. It is proposed to erect two more open-air class- rooms this year, and the Council have also asked for a report to be made to them on the question of erecting a day open-air school. The Borough Architect is planning all new school buildings on open-air lines of the Carnarvonshire type. The Report emphasises the need for residential open-air schools in which children who require more continuous care than is provided in a day open-air school can be treated. Until recently the only institution of this kind was at Halifax, but in May 1913 a second school was opened at Clacton-on-Sea. The length of residence of children at these schools varies from about three to six months. We would draw the attention of Welsh Education Authorities to the special value of these Residential Schools of Recovery which are intended mainly for non-tuberculous children. OldAber- The Reunion of Old Students at ystwythians Aberystwyth at Easter is, in a true Drama and sense, of national importance. Re- Music union Dramatics provided Mr. J. 0. Francis and Mr. D. T. Davies with their earliest adventures as playwrights. This year they are billed to give Y Pwyllgor" (The Com- mittee) and The Stranger" (by Mr. Davies) and The Old Adam "(by Mr. Francis). "The Call" (by Mr. J. Edwards) will be revived, and it is good news that Mrs. Clement Davies will be acting. Ephraim Harris," by Mr. D. T. Davies, will shortly be issued from The Welsh.Outlook" Press, and Dyrchafiad y Cymro," by Mr. W. J. Gruffydd, is to appear in the Welsh Plays issued from Aber- ystwyth by a committee of the 0J5 A Another feature of far-reaching significance in this year's Reunion is the Musical Club Concert, for it heralds the serious study of instrumental music at Aberystwyth. The success of the Musical Club- founded four years ago to supplement the musical teaching of the College-has been beyond all expectation. Some good fairy beguiled M. Gaston le Feuve to Aberystwyth. together with three friendly instrumentalists, for a musical picnic. M. Gaston le Feuve is a Professor at the Schola Cantorum, Paris-the school of Mr. Vincent d' Indy. The result of the first and now oft repeated visits of the Paris quartette is that we shall shortly have the pleasure of hearing Bach's choral works, Cesar Franck's Beatitudes, not to speak of the works of Beethoven, Schumann and Debussy. To him that hath ears to hear there is in this the beginning of a revolution in national musical taste comparable to that proceeding in connection with the drama. We have not seen the Reunion Programme for Bangor, but we hope the students there can give an equally good account of their activities. Bucheronnes We are indebted for the loan of this block to the kindness of the National Museum of Wales. From their excellent catalogue we also quote the following Millet surely never painted anything more arresting than this solemn procession of burdened figures. It is a splendid generalisation, and, as we look at it, we marvel at the boldness which rules out nearly all the facts which lesser men would labour and emphasise, in order to express their meaning. Here the features of even the foremost figure are obliterated, leaving us with little more than a silhouette, but with what simple eloquence do the bowed head and heavy tread tell their tale of human weariness and exhaustion ? Ourselves In answer to several correspondents, we should like to point out that we do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed in signed articles and reviews. Seeing that it is one of our chief intentions to publish articles in The Welsh Outlook from different points of view, we hardly could.