Festival at Greymouth

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33665, 15 October 1974, Page 12

Festival at Greymouth

Poetry, painting, displays of gemstone polishing, sculpture, and greenstone jewellery were aspects of the Greymouth arts festival last week. Demonstrations were given by C. Leslie Jones (portrait paintings), Alan Heap (sculptures), and the West Coast Gem and Mineral Club. The club displayed work' by members, including a collection of hand-polished beach greenstone by A. Dalziel, carved ,ade pendants by Alan Campbell, and greenstone jewe tv by Mrs J. Hopkinson. The Mawhera Potters Society showed the evolution of a pot and bowl, from raw clay to the finished article, and the local potters, Nan Bunt, Hardy Browning, Pam Beardsley, Irene Jones, and

Linda O’Dea demonstrated and explained aspects of the work. The West Coast poets, Peter Hooper, Duncan Hardie, and Kerry Hulme, read samples of their work, and Rod Buchanan, lan Burgess, and Marie Mcßride read extracts from works by other local writers, including E. Waltenburg, Paddy Blanchfield, and the late E. L. Kehoe. Comment and criticism was given by the senior lecturer in English at the' Christchurch Teachers’ Col-j lege (Mr B. Dunne).

The festival also featured an organ recital by Lester Roberts, and a combined choir singing excerpts from the “Messiah,” with visiting soloists from Christchurch and Timaru. This week, from yesterday to Saturday, the Greymouth Operatic Society is staging “Oklahoma” in Coxon Hall.