Welsh at Westminster Abbey

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Mr. Lloyd George, who is to attend the special service for the Welsh Prisoners of War Fund at Westminster Abbey next Saturday afternoon, has written a letter saying: "We who in this country enjoy comparative safety and comfort owe it to those brave fellows in the enemy's hands to do all that lies in our power to make their lot more bearable."

The first part of the service will be in Welsh and the second in English. The Welsh Guards’ band will play, and there will be a special musical service. An anonymous donor has given £1050 towards the cost of a painting of the gathering.

Among those who have intimated their intention of attending are the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker, Lord Aberdare, Lord Abercromby, Lieut.-General Sir Francis Lloyd, Sir A. Griffith Boscawen, Sir R. Borden, Sir Clifford Cory, Mr. J. R. Clynes, Sir A. T. Davies, Sir Edgar Jones, Sir Alfred Mond, Sir Owen Philipps, Sir Albert Spicer, and Colonel Sir Rhys Williams.

The Welsh Prisoners of War Fund was arranged a Welsh Coronation Day Celebration at Westminster Abbey, next Saturday. The King and Queen cannot attend, but Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria have promised to be present. The Prime Minister chose the hymns, at the request of the committee, but declined the Dean of Westminster's invitation to read the lessons.

The service, with the exception of the Evensong, will be typically Welsh throughout. Sir Frederick Bridge will conduct, and Mr. E. S. Roper will bo at the organ. In addition to the Abbey and Chapel Royal choirs, a special London Welsh choir of 60 voices will be augmented by 60 of the Welsh Guards’ male voice choir. The band of the Welsh Guards will be in attendance. At Evensong, the Bishop of Bangor will read the first lesson in Welsh, and the Dean of Westminster the second in English. The sermon will be, preached by the Bishop of St. David's.

The service was opened with the Lord's Prayer, followed by the 20th Psalm, the first lesson, Isaiah lxix, 9, being read in Welsh. The Magnificat (Bridge in G) was rendered by the choir, and the second lesson. Matthew xxv, 31-46, read in English. The Nunc Dimittis (Bridge in C) and the Apostles Creed and Collects followed with Handel's Coronation anthem, "Zadok the Priest," by the choir with full band accompaniment.

Praise and prayer, typical of all Wales at its best, resounded through the varied aisles and choir of Westminster Abbey on Saturday, the anniversary of the Coronation, when upwards of 4,000 people, either sons and daughters of the Principality or those interested in the past, present, and future of the Cymric race, formed a congregation which was unique in the history and traditions of that great fane. It was at a special service in connection with the Welsh Prisoners of War Fund. The beautiful music which preceded the service and largely that of the service itself was, rendered by Welsh executants, and, probably for the first time, a sermon was preached from the Abbey pulpit in the Welsh tongue. The Prince of Wales, absent on service in Italy, was represented by Sir Sidney Greville, and the Royal Family was represented in person by Queen Alexandra and Princess Victoria.

The Royal visitors arrived during the singing of the Welsh hymns which preceded the service proper and were escorted by the Dean to places in the choir, while the band of the Welsh Guards played the National Anthem. The occasion was noteworthy too, for the presence of two Welsh Prime Ministers, Mr. Lloyd George, and Mr. Hughes (Premier Australia), both of whom assisted in taking the collection with the Privy Councillors, Noblemen, and Knights of Wales.

The First Lesson was read in Welsh by the Bishop of Bangor and the Second in English by Dean, and the Anthems were Handel's Coronation Anthem and Sir Frederick Bridge's setting of the passage from Shakespeare’s “Richard III." beginning “Remember this, God and our good cause fight upon our side." Sir Frederick Bridge, the Abbey organist, were the feature. More especially that so of the singing, for an hour before evensong commenced, of some of the best-known Welsh hymns to tunes, were selected by Mr Lloyd George.

The choir was selected from the London Welsh churches. Bizet's "Ave Maria" and Greig's "In the King's Hall" having been rendered (Mr Andrew Harris, L.R.A.M., conducted here) the congregation joined in singing, in the tongue which was ancient before the foundations of the old Abbey were laid, "Wele's bydd yn gwawrio draw," to the late Dr Joseph Parry's "Aberystwyth," to the accompaniment of the grand organ at which Mr. E. Stanley Roper, (sub- organist of the Abbey, presided), and the Welsh Guards Band, the combined London Welsh Choir, assisted by about 60 voices from the Welsh Guards Regimental Choir, leading the vast congregation in the rendering of the hymn most effectively. No one sang more heartily than the Prime Minister. This was, followed by Williams' Pantycelyn "Marchog, Ieus yn llwyddiannus,” to the tune of "Moriah." The choir then sang "Dduw mawr pa beth a welaf draw?" ("Dies Irae,” Parry), "wele'n sefyll rhwng y myrtwydd" (Rhondda), "Clod i'r bendigedig Oen" ("Llanfair"), and "Iesu, Iesu, 'rwyt' Ti'n ddigon, "Dwyfor".

Then the sermon was preached by the Bishop of St. David's, who took for his text St. Matthew ix, 29. “Yn ol eich ffydd bydded i chwi,” "According to your faith be it unto you." The prolongation of the war was meant to be our national education in faith as the supreme condition, victory. The way to national faith was ever the old way of national prayer. The Apostolic prayer, “Lord, increase our faith, increase our faith," should therefore be our national prayer, since the text revealed a great law of Divine Providence. In the course of his remarks, he said: "The Welsh Prisoners of War Fund has a special claim upon us. It is a privilege to help our countrymen, who, on our behalf, suffer for righteousness's sake. At our Welsh service in this central sanctuary on Coronation Day we thank God that Wales has not been slow, at the call of our King, to do its duty, and to share the sacrifice made by the British Empire and its Allies in the sacred cause of righteousness for the welfare of mankind."

It became evident that in so vast a space, where the conductor (Sir Frederick Bridge) could only be seen by a comparatively small section of the people, congregational singing would have to be carried on under a disadvantage. When, therefore, the next hymn tune, "Moriah," was opened on the organ the congregation retained their seats and preferred to listen to a perfect rendering by the choir, organ, and band, and enjoy its reverberations through the great Abbey.

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