Welsh Journals

*• IPtYSTLI D63!5E?Y DP&5IZIIJB. « No. 41. Vol. IV. MAY, 1896. Price One Penny. LLANIDLOES. At a Vestry held in the F'arish Church on Friday, ApriTJlOth, the Vicar nominated Dr. J. Vaughan- Owen and Mr. D. Lloyd-Kinsey his Wardens for the ensuing year, and Messrs. Edward Davies and James Grant were elected to the same office by the parish¬ ioners. A very hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Daniel Davies and Capt. Panll for their services during the past two years. "We may look back upon Holy Week and Easter With a certain amount of satisfaction, for the season seeras to have been really utilized as a time of devo¬ tion. The daily services were well attended through¬ out, and the congregation at the Throe Hours was quite up to the mark, although we had not the attraction of a stranger. There was also a con¬ siderably better attendance in the evening—when Stainer's " Daughter of Jairas" was sung—-than there has been for some years past, though the collec¬ tion was not as large as it might have been, being indeed barely sufficient to cover the cost of the music This piece hud not been rendered for many yeats, and it was consequently practically new to most present. The bass and soprano recitatives were excellently tendered by Mr. John Davies and Miss Ikin respeo- ttvely, Mrs Roberts and Mr. R. M Davies had a very beautiful duet, to which they did full justice, and Mr. Tom Phillips gave a very impressive rendering of a difficult and not very taking solo. The choruses were splendidly sung by the Choir, in spite of considerable difficulty in time and phrasing. Altogether the service reflected great credit alike on choir, conductor, *md organist. The Concert given on April 15th by the Church Choral Society was undoubtedly the best by a long Way of those in which they have so far presented themselves to the public. Many things tended to Produce this result. In the first place, Cowen's " Rose Maiden " is beyond question superior from a n^sical point of view to the pieces taken up during the preceding sessions. Full of melody, it is con¬ siderably more difficult than anything the Society has ^tempted, and this put the conductor and the choir 0li their mettle Partly owing to this, but chiefly to Mr. Tom Phillips's indefatigable energy and en¬ thusiasm, the choir showed a marked improvement in their rendering of the choru es. The attack was everywhere noticeably firmer and more resolute, th phrasing more delicate, and the attention to marks of expression far more general than we have ever seen it before. Far too often the transition from forte to piano has been marred by the forgetfulness of a few members, but there was little room for such a re¬ proach this year. In the third place the vocalists were of a quality rarely seen—or at least rarely seen together at Llanidloes. Mr. Inesin was unable to appear, and the Committee are highly to be con¬ gratulated on having secured so efficient a substitute as Mr. Miller, of Llandaff Cathedral, on such short notice. His rendering of " Lead kindly light," was a real treat long to be remembered. Mr. Tom Thomas will undoubtedly take a high place in his profession—he has a magnificent voice, and uses it with an artistic appreciation of the words as well as the music The Vicar, during the short interval, paid a well-earned tribute to Messrs. Tom Phillips and Charles Owen for their services as conductor and secretary, and to Miss Marshall and Miss Louie Ikin for accompanying, not only at the cc nc^rt but during the session. He also thanked Mr. Edward Davies, Trewythen, for lending his American organ, and to Mrs Lewis Rowlands for having come to the assist¬ ance of the altos, who had been deprived of the ser¬ vices of the Misses Jerman, with whom and with their widowed sister lie expressed his own and the choir's deep sympathy. He ought also to have thanked the ticket-sellers for the thorough way in which they had canvissed the town. Owing to their exertions, although the expenses were exceptionally heavy, a small balance remains over and above what . was needed. We must add that Mrs Beadnell was so struck with the excellence of the performance that she handed in a voluntary subscription of half-a- guinea. " Others who were pleased, please copy." On Whit-Sunday, May 24th, there will be as usual celebrations of the Holy Communion at 8, 9, 10 (Welsh), and mid-day This ranks with Easter as one of the greatest festivals of the christian year, and it affords a good opportunity for those who did not make their Communion at Easter to repair their neglect. There were a considerable number who so