THE JUDGE SAID-.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 275, 2 September 1936, Page 4

THE JUDGE SAID-.

HEARD AT THE COMPETITIONS. “LOVELIER THAN A DREAM.” “There was one very beautiful little girl performing, and when I saw her on the stage I thought of her as epitomising the joy of life, which we all ought to feel in Now Zealand. {Dancing and music and elocution are all very beautiful things, and the people whp do them are so beautiful, it reminds me of a line recited by one of the competitors, ‘Live children, lovelier than a dream.’ But are they lovelier than a d,ream when the Competitions are over and there is washing up to be done and homework to be done!' People should not only be lovelier than a dream when they are seen at a distance. All you boys and girls taking part in beautiful things must be beautiful yourselves. If you can say ‘I am lovelier than a dream’ to your friends and everyone who knows you then you can feel you have done a jolly good thing.”—The musical judge, in announcing the awards at the Ashburton Competitions last evening. “I am not like the ladies. They can’t keep a secret, but I can.”—The musical judge. “The competitors in the Tucker Trophy, in their own selection, all chose, as all seem to do in Ashburton except in the popular song section, very good music.’'—The musical judge. “The last time I heard it played was by Paderewski in Christchurch.”—The musical judge, referring to the Tucker Trophy test piece, Bach’s Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue. “I want to thank all mothers and fathers for letting their children take part in the Competitions, and for having such nice children. If it hadn’t been for the parents we couldn’t have seen them. I know lots of other boys in Ashburton are straining at the collar to go into competition work, and it all depends on the mothers and fathers if they will let them do it.”— The musical judge. “When depression comes along we dp not cut off chunks of food from the body. We cut off chunks of food from the mind. When I see girls and boys coming along at the end of the depression with work as brilliant as ever I say the toast of the evening is to the teachers who have carried on.”—The musical judge.

“While I have been here as an adjudicator I have had such a pleasant week that I would not mind beginning again to-morrow. If that were the case and I went through the same programme again I cannot think of one result I would alter. In each case my decision would, have been the same. I hope competitors will realise that I have done my very best and have been strictly impartial.”—The elocution judge. “There has not been one competitor who has not shown promise. Not one of the performers could have been in any way classified as a ‘dud.’ It often happens in larger centres that a good many competitors are put in classes by teachers when they have not a chance. Everyone in Ashburton had a sporting chance, and that is perhaps something for Ashburton to be proud of.”— The elocution judge.

“It has been one of the loveliest lot of competitors that has ever stood before me. I enjoyed their work, and talking to them and meeting them. I know that a judge may not speak to competitors under the penalty of disqualification, but they were such winsome children that I could not resist the temptation of saying ‘Hullo’.’’— The elocution judge.

“Girls should not wear ballet shoes when competing in the skipping rope dance. One of them wore them again this afternoon. I was asked by a parent why, if I disqualified one, I did not disqualify them all. I did not disqualify anyone for wearing shoes, and I should like to make that quite plain.”—The dancing judge. “When doing a Dutch ballet, performers should remember that the Dutch do not have their hands in front or on their hips, but well up. When making steps they turn their toes in.” —The dancing judge. “Competitions are a thing that should be fostered. They are educative and useful in so many ways. I hope the townspeople will support the Society. They are a wonderful thing in the town.”—The elocution judge.