Competitions Drawing Big Crowds

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29818, 10 May 1962, Page 16

Competitions Drawing Big Crowds

Big audiences are being attracted daily by the competitions festival. Last evening an estimated 8000 persons had attended various performances during the first four days. Excellent public support had been received by the instrumental and speech and drama sections on all days, said the secretary of the Christchurch Competitions Society (Mr O. H. Houison). Begg’s concert hall, where the piano classes are being held, has been filled at nearly all sessions and on many occasions persons have had to stand. The speech and drama events have each day filled the Lutheran hall. In the larger halls—the Caledonian Hall and the Civic Theatre, audiences are increasing each day. The tap dancing, classical ballet, character dancing and song and dance classes for children, contested in the Civic Theatre yesterday afternoon, drew a large, appreciative audience. “Attendances at the Civic Theatre, both for the competitions during the day and demonstration concerts each evening, show marked increases compared with last year,” Mr Houison said.

The £5O Hay’s. Ltd., scholarship piano solo event was won yesterday afternoon by Helen McKay, of Christchurch. Another of the piano duo classes, reintroduced in the competitions after a lapse of eight years, and judged by Mr L. C. M. Saunders, of Auckland, yesterday, was described by him as superb. “Although restricted to players 15 and under 18, it was one of the best two-piano classes I have ever judged,” Mr Saunders said. Numerically and artistically the twopiano classes here were unusually strohg. Mr Saunders said. In the dancing events contested at the Civic Theatre yesterday the most polished performance was given by Mary Wise, winner of toe tap dance event for competitors 14 and over, said toe judge (Miss D. Katipe, of Auckland) Miss Wise won the New Zealand Footwear Distributors £25 tap championship in the Flint Cup contest on Tuesday evening. The junior classes were good, with particularly fine costuming said Miss Katipa. The general standard of the character dance for competitors 14 and over, however. was disappointing with miming weak and timing often incorrect, she said. The Sedley Wells £lOO aria championship, the largest prize ever offered in toe Christchurch competitions, was drawing increasing audiences each day. Mr Houison said. The event, held in the Civic Theatre, to contested between 12.15 p.m. and 1.45

p.m. The final will be decided tomorrow The first section of another event with .a major prize—the Riccarton Carpet* £25 ballet championship for competitors 14 and over—was contested during the demonstration concert to toe Civic Theatre last evening. The final section of this, in which contestants will perform a character dance, will be decided at the concert tonight. A South Island championship, the Irish jig event for competitors under 18. was won by Maureen Coulter, Of Christchurch.

Results, with the names of competitors from outside Christchurch In parenthesis, are:—

LUTHERAN HALL Speech and Drama Girls’ Test —lO and under 11: Alannah O'Sullivan 1, Mary Macasklll (Invercargill) 2, Carolyn Skilling (Ashburton) 3. Reading —Eight and under 10: Marilyn Hurren (Hokitika) 1. Julleyana Markotich 2. Eunice Brunt 3.

Junior Recitation.—lo and under 12: Michael Candy 1, Pamela Horniblow 2. Jillian Bartlett 3.

Recitation. Under eight: Glenys Black t, Wendy Tiller 2. Margaret Howard 3.

CITADEL HALL Singing Sacred Song.—l2 and under 16: Peter Allen 1. Margaret O'Malley 2, Christine Ward (Wellington) 3. Girls’ Test.—lo and under 12: Rosina Browning 1, Luarna Penwell 2. Ruth Gainslord (Prebbleton) 3. Scholarship.—ld and under It: Malcolm McNeill 1. Isobel Kilkelly 2. Character Song.—Under 12: Lindsay McKerrow 1, Rosina Browning 2, Luarna Penwell 3. Gunner Memoriel Scholarship. —Women: Mr* V. Ainsworth (Ashburton) 1. Mrs M. Chant 3. Operatic Aria.—Men: Mr A. Austin 1. Mr A. Bell 2. CALEDONIAL HALL Instrumental Plano Accordion.—Under 14: Glenys Dallard 1, Marilyn Coffey 2. Donald Milla 3 National Dancing Highland Fling.—Under eight: Elizabeth Taylor (Invercargill) 1, Juanita May Lucas 2. Diane Mlles (Ashburton) 3. Under 10: Pamela Spencer 1, Hole Loach (Ashburton) 2, Sandra Stewart 3. Open: Brian North (Ashburton) 1, Rosalind Good 2, Rhondda Webb 3. Irish Jig.—Under 12: Jan Gordon 1. Rosemary Armstrong 2. Dianne Baxter 3 Under IS: Heathet Dawson I. Elizabeth Smith (Dunedin) 2. Maureen Coulter 3 Under IS: Maureen Coulter 1, Pamela Klnzett 2. Elizabeth Smith (Dunedin! 3. Sean Trlubhala—Under jo: Nola Loach (Ashburton) 1. Sandra Stewart 2, Heather McOnle (Dunedin) 3. Under 14: Mary Lemon (Dunedin) I Barbara Peter (Sefton) 2, Alvina Johnson (Timaru) 3. Under IS: Elizabeth Smith (Dunedin) 1, Maureen Coulter >. Heather Dawson 3. Highland . Real.—Under II: Rosemary Armstrong L Vlvl-enne-Carol Lucas 2. Christine ' Hornpipe.—Under IS: I M* <£ab ‘i. SSSS2 Webb 3 Reel oTuUoch.—ll and under 14: Rosslyn Smith (Dunedin) I. Barbara Peter (Sefton) 2. Mary Lemon (Dunedin) 3. Sword Dance.—Open: Brian North (Dunedin) 1. Janice * T ‘“

BEGG’S CONCERT HALL Instrumental Piano Solo—l 4 and under IS: David Crooks (Rangiora) 1. Helen Thoma* 2. Julie Strong 3. Scholarship Solo.—Helen McKay 1. Ross McKee 2, Joanne Lee 3. Piano Duo.—lS and under IS: Richard Warnock and John Travers 1. Jennifer Shiels and Lorraine CapUl 1. Karen Moyle and Richard Warnock 3. CIVIC THEATRE Dancing Skipping Dance.—l2 and under 14: Lynette Jarman 1. Julie Brewer 3. Barbara Peter (Sefton) 3. Tap Dance.—Under eight: Reginald Coston (Paekakariki) 1, Katarina Rogers 2. Helen clarke 3. 10 and under 12: Dianne Baxter 1, Caroline Neaves 2. Christine Dawson 3. 12 and under 14: Alexander Stewart 1. Gillian Stokes 2. Jeanette Lukes 3. 14 and over: Mery Wise 1. Patricia Adair 2. Betty Hidden (Dunedin) 3. Classical Ballet.—l 4 and over: Petrea Neveldsen 1. Lyndsa.v McLachlan 2, Patricia MacaSktll (Invercargill) 3. Eight and under 10: Gwynydd Parry 1, Linda Aiming 2. Sandra Allaopp Character Dance.—Eight and under 10: Pam Heller 1. AnneM. Bootherstone 2, Helen Anderson 3. 14 and over: Petrea Neveldsen 1, Lyndsay McLachlan 2, PhyUia Acker ley 3 Song and Dance.—Under 12: Suzanne Day I. Mary O'Connor (Greymouth) 2. Penui-Juanlta venter 3. Song and Dance Duo.—l2 and over: Adrienne and Beverley Cornelius 1. Character Duo—l2 and over: Patricia Macaakil! and Cheryl McLew 1. Vocal Adult Choir.—Santa Rosa Ladies' Club Choir 1. Instrumental Plano Accordion, open to amateurs and professionals Tony Clarke 1. John Sinclair 2. John McDowell 3.