"LUMINOUS CENTRE."

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 198, 23 August 1928, Page 8

"LUMINOUS CENTRE."

VALUE OF COMPETITIONS.

AUCKLAND FESTIVAL OPENS.

JUDGE'S ADVICE TO PERFORMERS.

ATTITUDE OF FRIENDLINESS

"In these modern times we are a little bit apt to stress the physical against the intellectual. Competition societies seem to form the luminous centre in whieh things intellectual are placed at their proper value."

This point was made by Professor Maxwell Walker, of Auckland, who will judge the elocution section at the Auckland competitions, when speaking at the annual festival, which opened its season of a fortnight at the Embassy Theatre this morning. Both he and Mr. Chas. W. Kerry, the musical judge, who has come from Wellington, impressed upon competitors that their criticism of their efforts would be of a constructive nature, calculated to supplement the tuition they were receiving.

The attitude of the judges towards the competitors would be of the most friendly character, said Professor Walker, in acknowledging the welcome tendered the adjudicators by Mr. Andrew Menzies, president of the Competitions Society. The judges were interested in the development of the different contests with which they had to deal. "I am often asked," he added, "whether I think competitions are really a valuable asset in the life of the community, and my answer invariably is thpt competitions do permanent good." Competitions could not produce other than beneficial results, when they Lad sty many competitors willing to prepare their respective passages and come forward in open competition. He advised competitors that their attitude towards one another should be purely friendly, as the attitude of the judges would be toward them. While everyone could not win, the effort that would be made to achieve peifection would tend towards improvement. "Judges Not Ogres." Mr. Kerry said he returned to Auckland with pleasant memories of a visit he paid two years ago in a similar capacity. He hastened to assure competitors that the judges would be sympathetic. They were not ogres, there to point out every little mistake. He said that in au effort to assist- those who would come before him, to eliminate, as far as possible, anything in the nature of nervousness. If some were subjected to adverse comment, he hoped they would accept it in the spirit that it was given—to help them to do better in the future. The day had gone when adjudicators looked upon competitions as an opportunity to say smart things at the expense of the competitors. Any criticism made at the present sessions would be designed to supplement the tuition the contestants were getting. Miss Madeline Vyner, of Wellington, who will judge the dancing, arrived by the Limited, and was not present at the opening.

The increasing popularity of the festivals, which were introduced to Auckland in 1910 and revived in 1924 after interruption by the war, was reflected by the large attendances at all thj day sessions, when competition was limited to the eliminatior of the best of the talent from the inferior for presentation and final decision at this evening's performance. The bill of fare was as varied as it was interesting, music, song and dance liberally interspersing it so as to prevent the tedium of repetition.

The entries this year aggregate 2000, but while they show a decided, decrease compared with those of last year, it is confidently anticipated that the falling off will be counter-balanced by the high standard of the competition that is promised. While there is a preponderance of local contestants, some forty competitors from other centres, who have achieved success at similar entertainments elsewhere, have been attracted to the festival. The energetic committee conducting the competitions has decided that the day sessions will commence at 10 o'clock, continuing without a break till 6 o'clock. The evening sessions will start at 7.30 o'clock.

I The official opening ceremony, which will be performed by the Hon. Sir George Fowlds, the only life member of the society, will take place this evening. Results of the opening contests are as follows: — HUMOROUS RECITATION (Boye under 10); own selection. Recalls: Henry Bradley (Mt. Eden), **A Mimetic Morsel."' Mickey Orr (Eden Terrace). "Duel between Mr. Shott and Mr. Nott." Only competitors. PIANO SOLO (10 and under 12) ; Introduction and Fngata in D Minor (Harris). Recalls: Lola Liversidge (Kingsl&nd). Miriam Leach (Herne Bay). Alfred Gatfield (Onehunga). Highly Commended. — Eileen Phillips (Milford), Gordon Hewitt (Onehunga), Joan Dunlop (Epsom), and Gwendolen Knight (Grey Lynn). Also competed : Joan White (Grey- Lynn), Edna Elliott (Ponsonby), Ena Roscoe (Mount Eden), Mary Kennett (Herne Bav) Claudia Over (Onehunga). Ruth Gourdie (Herne Bay), Nora Rout (Mount Albert). The judge (Mr. Kerry) said there was no very outstanding performance. The competitors showed a good deal of inaccuracy of kind£. These inaccuracies were not so much In tone as in pedalling. Lack of tonal variety was also a fault. SONG IN CHARACTER (13-16) ; own selection. Recalls: , Kathleen Boyle (Ponsonby). Rene Geddes (Mount Eden). Also competed: Gaynor Maxwell (Manurewa), Mollie Needham (Grafton), and Mavis reaver (Newmarket). "None of the performances was verygood, said Mr. Kerry in commenting on this class, and all the competitors showed lack of experience."' He liked one or two of the competitors very well, but he could not hear what the songs were about. IRISH JIG (under 12). Recalls: Gladys Anderson (Grey Lynn). Leslie Maslen (Eden Terrace). Rhoda Evans (Ponsonby). Highly Commended.— Lorraine Cunnineand Gladys Cain (Point Also competed.—Maisie Dickson (Te Papapa) Jean McEwan (Herne Bay), Jean Clark (Rmgsland), Jean Greenwood (Ponsonby), Victory Kerr, Dagmar Jensen Lynn), Freda Jensen (KingrflndK AJjlsa Doeherty (Mercer), Isla Dulihantv (Papatoetoe), Willie Saul (Glenmore) and Jean Armour. *