Monday 1 March 2010

St David's Day

Spring is here at last with St David's Day and a few daffodils in bloom. Yet this morning my car was frosted with ice;it took de-icer and scaping the windscreen to clear it,but this afternoon when I went to the school Eisteddfod it was a sunny Spring day. I seem to have been going to school eisteddfods for ever.Once it was all traditional costume,but now it is rugby shirts.Of course, Wales should not be defined by its costume or its lovespoons,and rugby is an integral part of the land.

This is new Wales,and it is good to see the rugby shirts and dragon flags. Growing up in England we did not have this celebration of a national day-St George and Shakespeare seemed to merge together on April 23rd and mean nothing. They both seemed to be old and mythic. There was no celebration in school,no concert or competing. So Wales eisteddfod tradition is important,and I shall probably miss sitting in a hot hall listening to three versions of the same song and the same recitation.

I think there used to be more hwyl and always the National Anthem was sung.Today it wasn't. Perhaps they ran out of time or felt that with all the red rugby shirts it might feel more like a match than a concert. Of course, there are always the fine voices you know you'll hear again-Rhian,Caryl and Natalie,especially Natalie with her beauty and her voice.

1 comment:

  1. you will it when you no longer have to go. dont you just love to see all the little ones trigged out in their national costume -simon and laura wont dress for it any more :(

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