New York Tribune

A WELSH NATIONAL CELEBRATION. The New-York City Eisteddfod is making extensive preparations for a national celebration to be held in Chickering Hall on December 26. Its president, the Rev. Dr. L. D. Bevan, gave a Tribune reporter yesterday a brief sketch of the general nature of the festival and a programme of the one soon to be held in this city. "The Eisteddfod," said Dr. Bevan, "is the name of an old bardic gathering which had its origin in the early history of Wales. It is pronounced eis-teth-rod, with the emphasis on the second syllable, and means simply a session, though it might properly be termed the 'Welsh Olympian Games.' A curious feature of its observance is that it cannot be held if there is war in the land, and for a long time it was not observed; but it was revived at the beginning of the present century. Besides a national Eisteddfod in Wales, held every Christmas, no village is so poor that it does not hold its own eisteddfod, and award prizes to those competing in the various contests. Music is the chief attraction, although prizes are given for excellence in essay writing, for poetry, recitations and translations, consisting of money and gold and silver medals, and usually a bardic chair. "A Welsh church in this city some time ago began to hold a small Eisteddfod, limited to members of its own congregation, but last year some of the Welsh people living here thought it best to make the occasion one in which a greater number of persons would be interested. The festival was held in Association Hall; at one of the sessions Postmaster-General James presided, and the result was so satisfactory that this year the society decided to extend the privileges still further and to hold a national Eisteddfod in this city. The competitors last year were limited to residents of New-York and its vicinity but now the music, translations, poetry and drawing are open to all persons living in the United States. An essay in English on 'The History and Peculiarities of Political Parties in the United States' is also free to all competitors; but four other essays on practical subjects, written either in Welsh or English, are restricted to competitors living within twenty miles of the City Hall in this city. President Porter, of Yale College, has been appointed to read and decide upon the merits of the political essays, and the Rev. Dr. W. C. Roberts, of Elizabeth, N. J., will pass on those on the other subjects. There are also prizes for the best poems on several subjects, and for translating "The Old Oaken Bucket" and extracts from Bunyan and Chateaubriand from English into Welsh; and an extract from the "Gwledd Belassar" will be translated into English and also recited. Ground plans for dwelling houses, a sketch of the Obelisk and a bust-drawing of Webster's statue will also be presented. But by far the most important competition will be in music. Five or six choirs of 100 voices each are expected to sing in one of the choruses, for which a prize of $300 is offered.