| Main Performers | Lord Asquith, Prime Minister (Presiding - morning),
Lord Aberdare (Presiding - afternoon) - speakers |
| Choirs | Eisteddford Choir (300 voices) |
| Set List | Address (Lord Asquith),
Fanfare,
'See the Conquering Hero',
'Chairing the Baird' prizegiving to Mr W J Gruffydd (Cardiff) for best poem
Choral Competitions
'Caractacus', Elgar (Eisteddford Choir) |
| Performance Notes | William John Griffiths/Gruffyd) was awarded the Crown Prize at the London Eisteddfod for his poem on Yr Arglwydd Rhys.
Grand Evening Concerts were held at the Queen's Hall.
This event was disturbed by Suffragettes (WSPU).
"WELSH EISTEDDFOD.
HARMONY AND DISCORD.
The harmony at yesterday's proceedings in connection with the Welsh National Eisteddfod at the Royal Albert Hall was provided by those who bore a part in the musical contests; the discord came from a number of Suffragists (Suffragettes) who had found their way into the building, upon mischief intent. Their presence was entirely unsuspected until Mr Asquith, who was accompanied by Mrs Asquith, appeared on the platform, to which he was escorted early in the afternoon by a procession of Bards wearing the robes of their order. Scattered about in different parts of the hall, from the topmost tier to the floor space, the members of the shrieking sisterhood were clearly determined, if possible, to prevent the Prime Minister from addressing the audience, and but for the alertness and vigour shown by the stewards and other officials in ejecting them, one by one, they probably would have succeeded in their deisgn. As it was, Mr Asquith - with unfuffled temper - suffered many unseemly interruptions, and for some minutes was not allowed to complete a single sentence of his speech.
A banner hung out from one of the boxes, and bearing the familiar legend, "Votes for Women," began the trouble, and three offending occupants of the box at the same time raising their voices shrilly. Their cries were promptly drowned out, however, in the singing of the Welsh National Anthem, and further interruption from this quarter was prevented by the removal of those who had first caused it. But disorder was soon to break out again, the Prime Minister's "We are met here to-day," for instance, being checked by a defiant "to protest against your treatment, Mr Asquith," from a Suffragist occupying a seat not far from the platform. Like the other disturbers, this one was quickly seized and forced from the building, similar treatment - in some cases decidedly rough - being meted out to about ten others who successively got up from their seats and attempted to make a scene. One, more enterprising than the rest, had, after the manner of her kind, fastened herself in some way to her stall, considerable difficulty in consequence attending her removal. Eventually she was carried out unceremoniously, to the loudly-expressed delight of the audience."
(The Daily Telegraph, 17 June 1909) |
| Related Archival Material | Glass lantern slide (RAHE/3/1909/2) |