LITERARY AND MUSICAL COMPETITIONS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13737, 19 May 1910, Page 8

LITERARY AND MUSICAL COMPETITIONS.

.SECOND DAY. The Christchurch Literary and Musical Society's competitions were resumed yesterday, and an improved attendance was noticeable at the afternoon and evening sessions. Tlie Shakespearian recitation for gentlemen— "Gloster's Soliloquy"—took up tho greater part of tho morning session, and tho recitation for ladies : —"An Incident of the French Campaign"—was the principal item in the afternoon. In the absence of Mr P. Hercus, owing to indisposition, Mr R. "C. Bishop presided at evening session. The programme submitted was both varied and interesting. In the finals of the Shakespearian Tecitatiou for gentlemen. the A auai9tice had an unexpected opportunity of witnessing the effects of stago fright, ono of the competitors retiring, and giving ftage frigh.t as his reason for doing so. The finals of the ladies' recitation were* greatly appreciated. The impromptu debate was another popular contest, the speeches evoking applause and also much amusement. The violin solo and the piano solo contests wero enjoyable, but the vocal contest^ —the baritone solo and the sacred solo (contralto)—did not ©licit much enthusiasm. The result of the contests decided yesterday aro as follow: — SHAKESPEARIAN RECITATION FOR GENTLEMEN.*"Gloster's Soliloquy," tho test Shakespearian recitation for gentlemen, is well adapted for tho display of descriptive elocution. Speaking generally the contestants showed to much better advantage in it than in Tuesday's tost recitation. Fewer liberties were takon with the text than was' the case in tho Shakespearian recitation for ladies though one contestant yesterday, whose memory failed him. omitted half a line. The mo_t frequently made mistake in pronunciation was.the word "lowcr'd" in tho line:—"And ell the clouds that lowcr'd upon our house." In some instances tho competitors gave tho broad "o" Bound to the "ow." Tho judge decided to recall Mr P. A. Devercus, Mr G. A. Hansard (Addington), Mr A. D. Aitken (Christchurch), ond Mr K. E. Shorney (Wellington). Of the twenty who entered, seventeen comncted. The final- were decide.! in the evening, and tho judge, in giving his decision, snid:—'/The chief defects in this section was that tlie competitors could not soliloquize, and that almost all- of them recited Shakespeare's blank verße as if it were flat prose—'blank, blank, absolutely blank.' There were also some glaring and inexcusable mispronunciations:—'Loot' for 'lute,' 'waw-wer' for 'war,' 'nacher' for 'natura', 'buff-re' for 'before,' and the like. Tho wh.ner received-no marks at all for gesture. His attitude was not remotely euggestive of Gloater, but he wins on his elocution, even In spite of this misconception. On the whole the perforra-anc.-s were disappointing. Unfortunately one of tho competitors suffered from a persistent lapse o£ memory." The result -was:—Mr Dcveraix, 120 points, 1; Jfi Shorney, 112, _; Mr Aitken, 110, 3. Mr Baeyertz added that he desired specially to commend the work of Mr Shorney; when he was «. little older he should do sociething. PIANO SOLO Tho piece selected for the piano solo (any age) was Study in F sharp "Si OiEcau j'etai;," Op. 2 (Henselt), and of the nine who entered competed. The judge decided to reca'i Miss Vera Mooro (Dunedin), Miss V. F. Curlett (Christchurch), and Miss Aileen Moore (Dunedin). Tho judge's awards were:—First, Miss Ailecrn Mcorc (IJ__edin); second, Miss Vera Moore (Dunedin). Mr Barnett remarked that the second prize-taker playfd well, and w_s decidedly promising; her tempo wa.s too slow e_-d too much on a dead level, level. .RECITATION FOR LADIES. "An Incident of the French Campaign" (Browning), the test recit-tion for ladies, elicited an entry of twenty-five, of which number twenty-three competed. Tbo poem is by no means an easy one to interpret, and Browning's rugged style, and' in somo instances the remarks in the poem of a parenthetical nature eluded the capacity of some of thc contestants. Tlie first line of the poem proved a stumbling-block to many, who failed to appreciate fully the effect of the colon at thc end of it—in fact, some treated that punctuation mark as a comma, with disastrous results. Another difficulty experienced

by ino*t of the reciters was the second verse; j the comma at tho era- of tho fourth liis» -was treat**! as a full atop, and tho sense suffered soraewhut. Miss Gard'n.r (Dunedin**., who gave a very £_o interpretatiou: of lhe whole poem, wis especially sucrcssft- in the verse above referred to. Tho int-rpr-titioTi of tho poem was, speakins seneraUy, very good and in no fewer than five instances "tho judge decided to recall too c-_t_st_-t_. Tho»o recalleti were:—Misses Liuu A meld (."We linglon), Gard'iirx (IXuiedin), Pevereux (Chri_tcliurchl, Owen (Dunedin!, and F..J. Paeey (Dtinedinl. In fjivms his dceisisu, Mr Baeyertz said:—"Again tho ladies show the men » clean pair of heols. It is a difacult piece to do well. The parenthetical Twvs-'a.srcs caused much prief_ and pain. Tho chief -elects were wrong- rising v.nd falling, inflexions suid false emphases. On-.v one eempotitor appreci-te»- the condition of the boy. "whoa© bretist was ulraeol cut in two," whii had palloped at {nil spe.xl for some dift*.nce, and who, tc are told, kept his lips compressed, ?o that scarce any h!<xxl oasne through. There were pronnnciations u-ruanv ie this eection, ulf-o a.mor.g the r.mk und file, such as 'fy-er* (fire), 'sr-yer' it'ite), 'dec-zr-yer' (desirel. 'jo-ey' (joy*. There is 3 mi-print, in thc pro-Vanime, which waj? «lavi»hlv followed l>y niost of the cornnetit'*r-~"=rarc«*h-' ier "scarce." If thc.e co*noetit<*rs had any fccl'xiv whatever ff_ rhythm, they wouM have be»n sure that Brownins could 7'ever hxvo writt-en a !i:ie .«o lame ar;d ha'tin?." The award* were:—First. Mifß Oard'nrr. 14*.; second. Mis=s P-wey, W. 9: third (equal*. Mis** Dctctcus: and Miss Arno'd, 137. BARITOXE SOLO. Tliero were fourteen entrants fo r tho baritone solo, tho test piece bein-3; tho recitativo a.nd air, "O Star of Eve" (Wagnvrl, and ten competed. It vaa soon evident that the felection was much beyond tho ability of those who efsaved its interpretation. The indsjo recalled Messrs Tho«. M. Charters ;Beckenhani), John McKenno (Dunedin), Chas. Joll (Avon«ide\ and K. G. Harrison (Greymouth*. Tho judjjc in privi-ij? his decision, said:—"This solo fTom Wagner's ' Tannhatiser' proved too much for the vocal equipment of all thc competitors, but it. must be beneficial to them all io havo studied 6uch a composition. Competitors failed signally in time, tune, diction, phrasing, tone, enunciation, production, breath control, and in other reppects. I am sorry I cannot award n. first prize in this section, but Mr Charters takes second prize, and Mr Joll is third." Vn_j_i_N boLO. 'i_ree contestants took part in this compctuioiv, tno test pie-e oemj; "*R>cerio do x>a_ei. Jlr aw_ius were:— ru&i, _tli.s 1. Mems (Menvale*; second, itr A. V. v\esttiea_ luiino-iu;. lhe juuye remarkett that tne first prize winner gave a reauy £o_d penona-iKo ot c. ttimcu.t piece; the secon-prizc-t_l»er had certainly gooa teenmque above tho ordinary, but he lacked in oilier reapecui. SACRED SOLQS FOR L..DIES. The interpretation of thc saoreu. solo, *"Busslicd" (Beetaoven) waa e_sayc<i by three lauics— Mis E. Stallard (St. Albans;, Miss E. Field (Spreydon*, and .Miss Cico Fernando. (Wellington). The two last mentioned were .airly suc-e-stul. The final will be decide- later. IMPROMPTU DEBATE. Tho subject which was sprung upon the contestants was the aliuin-tion: "Tho hand that ro_ks the cradle rules the world." Tne conditions were that the speaker on tho alfirmativo had one minute in which to preparo his line ol argument, tour minutes in which to develop it, and two minutes in which to reply; the upholder of the negative had four minutes in which to advance his -.guinea-. Mr Alpers, in giving his decision, said that ho felt sure the audience would agree that considering tho conditions of the contest, the speeches were excellent as to tone, mutter, and general delivery. The beat individual speaker was Mt, L. H. Hunt, who. gave ah admirable address, and had an excellent delivery. Ho (the judg.) had to adjudicate not on tho individual speakers, but on the groups and on points. Messrs "W. F. Stock, Christchurch (affirmative) and Mr R. _*f. Gray, Christchurch (negative) won, with 128 markout of '200; Mx L. H. Hunt, Limehills (affirmative) and Mr A. J. Heighway, Dnnedin (negative) being second with 104 marks. Ho complimented these (tho only competitors) on their speeches, and regretted Uiat tho subject chosen had frightened two other competitors.

Tin's morning thc competitions will be resumed at 10 o'clock with the prepared reading—"Mario Antoinette" (Edmund Burke) —for ladies and gentlemen ;at 2.30 p.m. will be taken the "piano solo (twelve years and tinder); at 3.15 p.m., the musical monologue (competitors' own selection); and at 4.40, tho sacred solo (mez_to-sopiano). At the evening ression Mr J. L. Scott will preside, _and the finals of the day's competitions will be decided. In addition, the choir contest and the impromptu 'speech contest will take place, j , The secretary (Mr G. W. Joriner) j communicates the following:—-"If! seems that through a clerical error, Mr Wallace (No. "18) was recalled in' the elocutionary section, 'Sophie Perovskaya,' instead of Mr Cordery (No. 19). Mr Cordery camo second in the morning session, and it is impossible to say what ho might have done at night but for the mistake. In the circumstances, the elocutionary judge has decided to give Mr Cordery a special prize from himself."'