The Barmouth and County Advertiser and District Weekly News

"BLWYDDYN Y PLANT." CANTATA PERFORMANCE AT BARMOUTH. On Thursday evening last, at the Assembly Rooms, a first performance was given of a new Cantata, Blwyddyn y Plant" (The Children's Year), the music of which is composed by the Rev. P. H. Lewis of this town, while the words have been wiitten by the Rev. E. G. Davies, Abertridwr. The chair was taken by the Rev. E. J. Parry. A choir of about thirty girls, aided by some older ladies, rendered the choruses and were assisted by an orchestra. As the occasion was unique in the hisijorv of the town much interest was felt in it and the Assembly Rooms were filled with an expectant and sympathetic audience. The theme of the cantata has already been described in detail in a previous issue of this paper and is briefly "a sur- vey from the standpoint of school- children of the passing seasons of the year. The old year dies to the solemn and slow music of the orchestra and the new year is welcomed with a chorus and a song. Season then follows season with appropriate dance and dirge. Spring is characterized by the song of the birds and the song of the flowers, summer brings the holidays and the problem of where to spend them is discussed by a lively and amusing dialogue written by the Rev. Z. Mather, followed by a hay- making chorus. The coming of Autumn is heralded by a very pretty dance and humming chorus —The Fruit tree-and later by a melan- choly dirge of nature, which was very effective. Winter scenes follow—the cosy gathering on the old Welsh heartb, where penillion flinging with the harp occupy the winter evenings -leading up to the grand coming of Christmas, which terminates the Children's year. The idea is a novel and charming one, and Mr Lewis may well feel proud of the way in which it was realized by the choir of well-chosen and perfectly trained voices which he conducted The orchestra was composed of Mrs Wade Roberts, Mr D. Roberts, Telynor Mawddacb (violins), Mr W. E. Williams (cornet), Mr J. R. Thomas (trombone), Mr Gwilym Jones (triage), Mr Robert Williams (tambourine), Mr D. Tyson Hughes (side-drum), Mr Stanley Jones (harp), with Miss Neilie Roberts and Miss L. E. Rowlands at the piano and organ respectively. Needless to say their performance was excellent through- out, while the introduction to the Cantata—" The Dying Year "—the pre- lude to the Songs of the Birds and to the Haymaking Chorns and the Dance which preceeded the coming of Autumn stand out in the memory as deserving of special notice. The music of the Cantata is through- out essentially Welsh in character,with its mingling of sad and gay, solemn and merry, and alternation of maj or and minor modes. Even in the songs and choruses of Spring and Summer, the dominant note is one of sadness, while an instance of the same characteristic is the introduction of the Song of the Sick Child into the midst of the songs of the Spring. Mr Lewis has caught the spirit of the old Welsh composers, and expressed it in a way which will surely appeal to Welsh audiences, while the introduction of some old Welsh airs —" Nos Calan and Llwyn On "—into the Cantata helps to accentuate this kinship between it and our old national music, and to stamp it as typically Welsh. The Children's Year contains a DUM. ber of very pretty solos, notably the Song of the Neiv Year which was given by Jennie Jones (Moss Bank), a sweet and simple Song of the Flowers, sung by Blodwen Hughes, and a charming Song of the Seashore rendered by Jennie Garnett. Other soloists were Frances Garnett, Maggie Roberts, Ann Ellen Rees, Lewis, Edwards, Evan Jones, and Randle Rees. Variety is given to the performance by duetts, a trio, some humming choruses, pennillion singing with the harp and an action song and march by the infants. One of the duetts gave'an amusing representation of the old fashioned Welsh barometer-Sion a Sian-Sion being David Ieuan Griffith while Hilda Thomas made a charming Sian but was overpowered by her rather stronger partner. The trio Evening on the Seashore" given by Jennie Garnett, Blodwen Hughes, and Dora Jones, de- serves special mention, words and music fitting one another admirably while the three voices blended perfectly. It would be difficult to single out any of the choruses for special notice for all were rendered in a most pleasing manner, but the Chorus of the Holidays, Nature's Dirge, and the burning chorus which followed a duett given by Ceinwen Felstead and Ritchie Griffith, were very greatly appreciated. Recitations were also given by Maggie Edwards, and Catherine Pugh. An important consideration in the performance of a cantata is the pro- vision of suitable scenery and stage accompaniments, and in this respect the Conductor was fortunate in having the services of Mr D. T. Roberts, Tynycoed Buildings, who had charged of this de- partment, and had contrived some won- derfully ingenious stage furniture, viz,, a monster Shon a Shan barometer, a letter box, and a clock. All the stage arrangements worked quite smoothly and the performance proceeded without a bitch from begin- ning to end and terminated with the singing ot God save the King." A momentary gloom was cast over the meeting by an announcement made by the Chairman in the course of the con- cert that the author of'the words of the Cantata bad been prevented from being present by the very sudden death of his wife. It was felt to be a great pity that Mr Davies could not share with the Rev. P. H, Lewis the well-deserved praise which his work enjoyed and the hearty congratulations which poured in upon him at the close of the concert.