The living arts

Press, 10 July 1979, Page 13

The living arts

Art contest Entries are n.<»’ open for the annual art contest run by the Royal Overseas League, which gives young artists the chance to win cash awards totalling $lOO in this country, and $lOOO in London. The prizes are available only to artists under 35, but older artists may submit works for exhibition, and possible sale. Entries in the New t .aland section must be delivered to the league’s headquarters in Christchurch by September 20, and after judging by Professor H. J. Simpson, of the School of Fine Arts at Ham, and Mr W. A. Sut-

ton, reader in fine arts, New Zealand entries will be exhibited in Christcliuicn from September 24 to 28, and the winning entries will go on to London afterwards, for the Commonwealth judging in November. No restrictions are placed on subject matter, but there are some physical limitations on the works. The maximum size is one metre by 66cm and the paintings must be of light weight — a condition imposed because of the cost of air freight. There are restrictions on the frame sizes, too, and three-dimensional works will not be accepted.

Country music A small country group of musical-comedy enthusiasts, formed three years ago to produce a single show but now a regularised organisation aruiiated to the Federation of Operatic Societies, will present its third production this week. The group is the Kirwee Players, and the show it will present this week is “Fiddler on the Roof.” A Darfield tenor, Malcolm Palmer, heads the cast of 50 in the role of Teyve, and playing opposite him as Golde is Marjorie Marshall, of Christchurch, who is also the producer. Elizabeth

Blackburn is the musical director. The show will be performed at Kirwee on July 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21. Second quartet The series of performances by the McMaster Quartet of the “Rasumovsky” quartets of Beethoven will continue on Sunday in the Christchurch Teachers’ College Auditorium. The Quartet, which is in residence for the winter at the University of. Canterbury, gave the first recital in the series last month. The members have also run a master class for string players, attended by students and members of the public; and have visited Dunedin, where a performance of the cycle of three quartets was given. The players, Marta Hidy, Sasha Weinstangel, Mark Childs, and Zdenek Konicek will spend the rer binder of the term teaching, demonstrating, and performing as a quartet and with students’ orchestra groups at the School of Music. Their final concert will be given on July 29. Choir concerts A Christchurch youth choir which specialises in music with a religious flavour will give two recitals this month in the Town Hall, on July 14 and 20. The choir, the Celebration Singers, is directed by Francis Dennis, senior lecturer in music at the Christchurch Teachers’ College. Two secondaryschool music teachers, Russel Kent and Philip Craigie, are his assistants. They have decided to present the programme twice this year because the single concert last year drew a full house, and some people were turned away. The choir has already performed widely this year, having travelled to Queenstown, Invercargill, Gore, Balclutha, Dunedin, Timaru and Ashburton during the May school holidays. Choir members pay their own way on these trips, and additional expenses are met by donations and from profits from the sales of the choir’s three recordings. No charge is made for any of the concerts. Music bursary The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s study bursary for 1979 has been awarded to Valerie Rigg, a principal first violinist. The award is made annually to enable orchestral players to undertake refresher study overseas. Miss Rigg will leave for Europe in August, and will study for four months in Cologne with Igor Ozim. She will then spend two weeks in London, taking further lessons, before returning to New Zealand to join the N.Z.S.O. in rehearsals for the 1980 Hong Kong Festival. She will take up the remainder of the bursary in October, 1980, when she will spend two months in the United States, studying with either Raphael Bronstein or Josef Gingold.