COMPETITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1275, 2 November 1911, Page 6

COMPETITIONS.

VOCAL, INSTRUMENTAL AND ELOCUTIONARY. NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY'S FIRST CARNIVAL. YESTERDAY'S RESULTS. Competitions are in tho air. In the street, in the tearooms, in tho homos, the chief topic of conversation is the competitions now being held in the Town Hall. Yesterday's programme was an interesting one. It included a male duet, Scotch song, contralto solo, piano duet, and recitation contests, all of which were keenly fought out to a fine finish. The following are the results of the various contests:— MALE VOICE DUET.. Duet (Gentlemen)— Test piece, "Watchman, What of the Night?" Sarjeant, in F and d First prize, £2; second prize, ill; tliird prize, certificate.—Entrants—C. C. Crump and G. Nood (Wellington), A. G. M'Loan and E, Hodge (Wanganui); Frank Tunley and James Cathcart (Wellington), James Calvert and Wm. Feilding (Wellington), 11. F. Wood and D. Lillicrap (Wellington), W. E. Saunders and R. Orr (Lower Hutt), H. Holland and T. Potter (Mornington), A. Rose and F. Bui! (Blenheim), A. W. Robins and F. Hassall (Wellington), S. N. Hutton and R. Noton (Wellington), H. Phipps and F. Laycock (Wellington), Henry F. Green and R. J. Young (Mastorton), 0. E, Farrow and W. Aspinall (Auckland). Selected for final test—H. F. Wood and D. Lillicrap, W. E. Saunders and E. Orr, 0. E. Farrow and W. Aspinall. Final test—o. E. Farrow and W. Aspinall, Auckland, 1 (121 marks); W. E. Saunders and R. Orr, Hutt, 2 (110 marks); H. F. Wood and D. Lillicrap, Wellington, 3 (108 marks).

Tho winners in this section said the judge (Sir. C. N. Baeycrtz) were much better in the'solo passages than they were in ensemble singing, owing to the bass being over heavy for the tenor, but the duet was quite well done, though the balance was not quite as good as it might have boon. The voices were good—there was a ring in tlieni. The second prizewinners were rather well balanced, but the tenor was inclined to bo throaty. CONTRALTO SONG. (For those who have never received a foe.) Contralto Song (for competitors who have never received a fee) —"Fascination," Dessauer. First prize, silver medal; 6econd prize, bronze medal; third prize, certificate.—Entrants—Ada Mary Willis (Wellington), Lily Ivimey fDunedin), Ivo Symes (Wanganui), Ray P. Livingstone (Christchurch).

Selected for final test—Mrs. I. Symes, Miss Ray Livingstone. Final test—Miss Ray Livingstone, Christchurch, 1 (121 marks); Mrs. Symes, 2 (118 marks).

The winner in this section, said the judge, gave a reading which was nicely balanced and placed. Sho also showed better rhythm than the other competitor. The second prize-winner had a rich contralto voice, but it lacked melodic curve and rhythm. SCOTCH SONG. Scotch Song (lady or gentleman), own selection. First prize, J32; second- prize, £1; third prize, certificate.—EntrantsMiss Sutherland (Fordell), "Cornin' Through the Rye";. Mrs. Symes (Wanganui),"Here's to the Year That's Awa'"; Miss Sutherland (Fordell), "Mary"; H. Phipps (Wellington), "Mary"; J. Cathcart (Johnsonville), "Macgregor's Gathering"; W. W. Goudio (Wellington), "Turn Ye Tao Me"; Miss Pleasant (Lower HuttV "Afton Water"; Miss Lyons (Auckland), '"Tiros Within a Mile of Edinborough Town"; Mrs. Higginson (Wellington), "Comin' Thro' the Rye"; .Mrs. Willis (Thorndon), 'Te Banks and Braes o' Bonny Boon"; W. Aspinall (Auckland), "Annie Laurio"; W. Parker (Upper Waikato), "Mary of. Argyle'%- Mrs, Lewis (Wanganui), "Robin Adair"; Miss Cameron (Thorndon), "Annie Laurie"; C. G. Chambers (Wanganui), "Border Ballads"; W. E. Saunders (Lower Hutt), "Mary of Argyle"; T. E. Jones (Vogeltown); R. T. (Lower "The 'March of the Cameron Men'V'Miss Pacey (Dnnedin), "Turn Ye Tao Me"; Miss Livingstone (G.P.0., G'hristchurch), "Turn Yo Tae Me."

Selected for final : test—Misses Lyons, Pacey, Mr. Aspinall, Mrs. Lewis. Final test—Mrs. lewis (Wanganui), 1 (131 marks); Miss Florence Pacey (Dunedin), 2 (129 marks); Miss Lyons (Auckland), 3 (121 marks). Mr. Baeyertz said they had been given somo very nice readings of Scotch songs and folk songs. The winner hod rather surprised him that evening. She had shown reserve, temperament, and a very nice' voice well under control. She was good in every way. 'The "Second prize winner had also given an excellent reading. With her, however, there was too much frontal tone, and a .'slight lack of artistic reserve.

VIOLIN SOLO.' (For players under 12 years of age.) Violin Solo (under 12)— Test Piece, "Stilles Gluclc" (op. 78, No. 5), (Hans Sitt). First prize, silver medal; second prize, bronze medal; third prize, certificate.—Entrants—Arthur David Mlvinlay (Wellington), Alexandra Carson Mathieson (Wellington South)..

Resnlt—Alexandra .C. Mathieson (Wellington South), 1 (155 marks): Arthur D. M'Kinlav (Wellington), 2 .(117 marks). The winnor, Miss Mathieson, said Mr. Harold Gregson, was quite exceptionally good for one so young. He likod her stylo and position, and she had a rich tone.

RECITATION. (For girls under 1G years.) Recitation (girls under 16).—Test Piece, "To ii Skylark" (Wordsworth). First prize, silver medal; second prize, bronze medal; third prize, certificate.—Entrants —Eileen Aitcheson (Wellingtrt), Audrey C. Noble-Campbell (Newtown), Leah Pool (Wellington), Hazel F. Jeffery (Island Bay). Ada M. Moller (Newtown), Euphemia 31. Pearson (Island Bay), Ethel M. Brewins (Ch'ristehurch), Doris A. Scott (Wellington), Eliza A. Joss (Invercargill), Colleen Rayward (Wellington) Pauline Brown (Utaki), Mavis Tla.ll (Wellington), Zita 11. Chapm. a (Lower Hutt), Margaret It. Williams (Masterton), Stella Cairns (Masterton). Result—Ethel Brewins, 1,(110 marks); Mavis Hal!. 2 (108 marks); Stella Cairns and Hazel jeffery, 3 (106 marks each). ■ Honouralle mention—Misses Chapman, BroWn, Williams, and liayward.

The judge (Mr. Baeyertz) said that the section was a very good one indeed. Tho piece selected was not an easy one for children to recite. Very few of the competitors made use of the pause—the high lights to a picture—while the parentheses troubled the children. Then* was a lack of modulation and there were a number of mispronunciations and affected pronunciations. The winning girls pave a very intelligent performance, though thero were, slight defects in modulation. The second girl's performance was very good; her gestures were very fair; she. too, suffered from a lack of pauses. She wanted n. little more technique of tho right sort. Stella Cairns, who was bracketed with Hazel Jeffery for third place, was praised for her emphases, which were better than tho=e of any competitor. Hazel Jeffery's work was very intelligent.

PIANO DUET. 1 (For Players Under 16 Years of Age.) Piano Duel' (under lfi)—Test Piece, "Trois Marches Milifciire" (op. 51, Nos. 1 and 2), Schubert. First prize, silver medal; second prize, bronze medal; third prize, certificate. —Entrants —Acmes Mary Duncan (Wellington), and Ma Helen Dancan (Wellington), Marcraret Mary Turnbull (Wellington), and Cecilia Mary Baldwin (Palmerston North), Mary Feist and Mollie Moore (Carterton), Joan Perkins and Edith Ewart. (Wellington), Rose Ootids and Marjory Gwendoline Kovworth (Wellington).

Selected for final test—The Misses Duncan and Misses Feist and Moore.

There was somo very good playing all through this competition, declared the judge (Mr. Grogson). All had played the rather difficult duet from memory and tho performance,? were generally marked by rood tonch and tone. The greatest fa nit perhaps was that they did not play as rhythmically as one conld desire. They did not realise t'ho spirit of the march.

THE EVENING PERFORMANCE. Tho Town Hall was comfortably filled last evening, who.n the successful competitors in the day's competitions provided an interesting entertainment, which was as diverse in matter as it was in Quality. Tho Scotch song contest, which bad evoked much interest ia tho afterneon, was brought to a happy close, each of the recalls amtributing an acceptablo

song in quite an artistic manner. Tho winner was Mrs. Lewis, of Wanganui, who gavo a notablv good reading of the old song "Robin Adair." Mrs. Lewis was good. Miss Pacer, tho clever Dunedin girl, who .neglects no opportunity to display her varied talents, sang "Turn Ye Tae Me," the Gaclic-cnm-Scotch song, so well siing by that excellent artist Mr. Andrew Black. It is a man's song, but it camo very sweet and reminiscent from_ tho fair singer. Miss Rita Lyons sang "Within a Mile o' Edinboro' Town" very nicely. Another item which aroused interest was tho duet for male voices. "Watchman, What of the Night?" Messrs. Aspinall and Farrow, both of Auckland, sang most acceptably. Messrs. Orr and Saunders, of' the Lower Ilutt, did themselves credit. They. balanced nicely. Messrs. 11. F. Wood and Lillicrap, of Wellington, lost rhythm here and there in the same duet. Tiny Miss Brewins recited "To a Skylark" with rare intelligence, and there was little difference in the merits of tho small girls who played the piano duet, a simple setting of Schubert's Marche Militaire." The entertainment concluded with a dramatic sketch entitled "A Sacrifice." What it was all about the audience could not tell, owing to the extremely confidential methods of the performers, who were sadly lacking in all tho essentials that go to make a sketch successful. So poor was the showing they made that tho audience began to clamour for the curtain, which was rung down in tho middle of the sketch.

At this evening's entertainment Mr. M'Elwain, of Auckland, said to be the best dialect story-teller iu New Zealand, is to tell some of his clever stories. Another item of interest will be the humorous son" (in character) contest, a dramatic recital of "King Out Wild Bells," and the screen scene from "The School for Scandal," in which Miss Lilian Prichard, of Melbourne, will appear at Lady Teazle.