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fliwtli Deanerp magazine. Vol. II. (New Series). JULY, 1906. No. 163. GENERAL. The Deanery is changing rapidly so far as the Clergy are concerned. Only last month we had to congratulate the Rector of Pen- strowed on his appointment to Llangyniew, and to chronicle the approaching departure of Mr. Parker Jones from Llanidloes, and now we have the pleasing duty of congratu¬ lating the Rev. Oliver Harding on his appoint¬ ment to the Rectory of Llandyfuan, which we trust is only a stepping-stone to higher things. Of the Clergy who saw the birth of this Magazine there remains now only our Rural Dean—a patriarchal figure whose arrival here is lost in the mists of antiquity and of whose removal there are no signs. The death of Mr. John Davies, L. & P. Bank, Llanidloes, is mourned through the Deanery and is much more than a parochial loss as he was well-known in each one of the several parishes. He originated the Sunday School Association, and took the greatest interests in all the schools : only this month he was to have examined the different schools, as he has done for the last few years, annually, and on their behalf we beg to express our sincerest sympathy with his widow, and to record our deep sense of the loss which the Deanery has sustained. Mother's Union.—It is proposed to hold the General Meeting of the Mother's Union at Caersws, July 25th or August 1st. Two prizes will be offered for the best cakes weighing at least 31bs. Entrance fee, 2d. The cakes will afterwards be used for the tea CHORAL FESTIVAL. The morning of Wednesday, July 4th, gave promise of a brilliant day, and con¬ sequently—so far as the weather might affect the matter—of a successful gathering. Un¬ fortunately news arrived of a breakdown on the line between Llanidloes and Moat Lane, and it was found that the choirs and the preacher were detained at the latter station. There was nothing left but to have the morn¬ ing service with only the Llanidloes choir in attendance, and we must say that Adlam's service was very admirably rendered by them. The Rev. W. L. Richards celebrated, the Vicar and Curate of Llanidloes acting as Gospeller and Epistoler respectively. The congregation was very small : it is charitable to surmise that our church people assumed that under the circumstances the service would not take place. The delayed choirs arrived just as the service ended and in time for lunch, which was excellently served by Misses Roberts, Unicorn Stores. In the evening there was a good congregation, though we might have expected to see the Church quite full on such an occasion. The choristers were not so numerous as usual, only a few coming from Trefeglwys and Caersws not being by any means fully repre¬ sented. The service does not call for much remark: it will suffice to say that the singing on the whole was satisfactory, and the choir well under the conductor's control. The Magnificat by Tours was well taken, but in the Nunc Dimittis there was a false start from which they never quite recovered. The anthem " Great is the Lord " (Vincent), went with much spirit, but occasionally in it —as later in the hymn " Hark the sound of holy voices " we are inclined to think that Mr. Richards forced the tempo unduly—but that is of course purely a matter of taste. On the whole we are inclined to think that hymn 251 " Saviour when in dust to Thee " (sung kneeling) to ' Aberystwyth' was the most impressive feature of the whole service. The Vicar of Llanllwchaiarn preached an admirable sermon on the pre-eminence of praise in the scheme of worship, and the service was excellently taken by the Vicar of Carno, the Rector of Llangyniew monotoning the concluding prayers, and the Vicar of Llanwnog and Llanidloes reading the lessons. It would have been better if some one, other than the Rural Dean, had given the blessing, as his inability to give a clear musical note left three-quarters of the singers dumb on the