Welsh Journals

also made for books essential to the study of the nine- teenth century-such as copies of old Welsh periodi- cals. We have always held the view that in these are to be found the true original records of our national development during the last century and a half, and we trust that Cardiff means to do something to co-ordinate them into an intelligent and complete story. During the last twenty years, about half-a-dozen people have made a comer in Welsh books, and have utterly ruined the market for poor collectors and draggling libraries. We have no doubt that they will gladly disgorge frc j their duplicates and triplicates in response to this appeal -but we also would express the hope that everyone of them henceforth should be satisfied with one perfect copy of each of the editions of valuable and rare Welsh books. The Second Annual Orchestra! Musical Festival held at Aberystwyth under the Education auspices of the University Department in Wales. of Music, must rank as an event of first rate national importance. The London Symphony Orchestra, with a few selected college instrumentalists, provided the musical fare, under the baton of Dr. Walford Davies. The hegemonists at the Welsh University seat appear to realize that in the Principality there is scope for the propagation and perfection of a cultural system embracing the fine arts such as we find among our Continental neighbours. A Latin Quarter is not yet to be found within the College town, but a more favourable artistic atmosphere now prevails, and we may confidently expect to find in the course of another generation Welsh music exalted to a totally different plane. This will be effected by the new opportunity for musical development. The Festival is planned primarily for students, in the words of Dr. Walford Davies­-whose mission in the Chair of Music is that of joining artistic sense to existent sensi- bility-it is designed to exemplify the Great Masters on a worthy scale for the benefit of those who study them in silence or with inadequate illustration." The Doctor further emphasizes the necessity of looking to the ear: and this festival afforded ample scope for the exercise of this faculty. Attendance at rehearsals, and the brief but pregnant elucidations of the conductor, brought the listener within sight and hearing of the significance and virtue of the compositions. It is obviously absurd to seek results The Welsh awhile even through microscope. It Composer's is none the less obvious that the estab- Opportunity. lishing of inherent music in direct con- tact with the minds of the Masters cannot fail to fructify. A sense of artistic form and of colour will infuse and become inculcated in the minds of those who looked with the ear. Such exemplifi- cations can serve only to eradicate insular prejudices and meretricious notions; the breadth and grandeur of Bach and Beethoven will not awaken still-born echoes in the native genius. We are still minus a national Odeon, but at this Festival we were privileged to hear the first performances of two native essayists, whose composi- tions were adjudged sufficiently serious to merit inclusion in strictly classical programmes. We hope at one of the forthcoming festivals of not distant date an entire day will be solely devoted to first flights of musical fancy of our own composers. We understand that the Committee of Hedd Wyn the National Memorial to Hedd Wyn Memorial. met at Trawsfynydd on the 14th October, and decided to close the fund on the I January next. There must be many who have not yet subscribed to the fund who are desirous of doing so, and they should, without delay, send their contributions to Sir Vincent Evans, the treasurer, at 63 Chancery Lane. We have always deplored the attempt The New to divide Welsh Liberals into two camps Welsh Liberal on a personal issue. The question of Council. the nominal leadership of the forces of progress,-call them Liberal or by any other name--does not deeply interest us. We have lived long enough to see the principles for which the heroes of our lives had suffered and died, sacrificed by our leaders for a momentary convenience. We hold Mr. Lloyd George responsible for the most illiberal regime that ever existed in Ireland, but we remember the Carson revolt and Easter, 1916, when Mr. Asquith was in power. Men are creatures of an hour, and behave often as if they realised it, and try to make the most of their brief spell of joy or power. But principles are eternal, and Welshmen need reminding of this to-day. We hope, therefore, that the new Welsh Liberal Association will remain free from the vice of the Llandudno Inquisition. The blame for the secession rests at the door of those who demanded an uncondi- tional promise of personal loyalty from honest men. We would rather see a Welshman leading the forces of liberty than any man on earth, but the leadership of such an active army can never be a freehold office. It must come up for review from day to day. Even the bitterest critics of the new free and independent association will have to admit that it has secured the support of a large number of the best and noblest of living Welshmen. THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER. Unknowable, thou shalt know me As token of all the yesterdays, Of all who passed yet for ever stay, With a renown that is never old And a love that is never cold. Am I not he, thy Beloved Son, Thy brother, And thy lover? Invisible, thou shalt see me, Thy warrior bowed in Love's simplicity, Unclaimable, thou shalt claim me As thine own. M. 1. Lewis-James.