CROWDS INVADE STAGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 196, 2 June 1930, Page 8

CROWDS INVADE STAGE

RIOT AT COMPETITIONS. When adjudicators at the choral competition at the Queensland Eisteddfod made a mistake in announcing the winners of the contest, a wild crowd surged on to the stage and surrounded the committee, demanding a re-staging of the contest. Pandemonium reigned, and it was half an hour before order was restored in the big hall. Dr. Arnold Orchard, who was chief adjucator in the contest, gave the decision of the committee of judges by calling a series of points which were, so far as he was concerned, based on the order in which the choirs were listed in the official programme. Many in the audience believed the figures were called'in the order in which the choirs had made their appearance on the stage, an order which was quite different from their nuriibers on the official list. Consequently, many in the big audience believed that the Cambrian Choir had won first prize, while actually the Southern Choral Society from Victoria had gained the title of champion choir of Queensland. In the resulting confusion, hundreds of' the audience crowded on to the stage, and, surrounding the adjudicators, demanded that they should retract their decision. Shouts of “Ned Kelly was a gentleman compared with you,’’ and “Daylight robbery,” were heard from every quarter of the hall. Police were called in: to quell the disturbance, and had' to rescue Sir James Blair, chairman of the Eisteddfod, from the angry audience. The rumour was circulated that the judges had changed their decision, and some of the crowd chaired Mr Graham Burgin, conductor of the Cambrian Choral Society, and rushed him on to the platform. This was the signal for supporters of the Cambrian Choir to chair their conductor, Mr Leonard Francis. There was an unprecedented scene as the two rival parties swept on to the platform, brushed the police cordon aside, and tried to overwhelm the committee of judges. Police reinforcements were summoned, and at last order was restored in the hall. Then Dr. Arundel Orchard announced for the committee, that by the system of marking used by the judges, the Southern Choir had been declared the winners of the contest. His announcement nearly started another riot, but finally, cheers were given for the winning choir by all the other contestants. But many left the hall in ..an angry mood, declaring that there had been unfairness shown.