THE OFFICIAL ACCOMPANIST.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1603, 21 November 1912, Page 6

THE OFFICIAL ACCOMPANIST.

I AND. HER PUPILS. (To the Editor.) Sir,—On Monday evening, at the Town Hall,, it was announced that a competitor had objected to Mr. Howse being recalled, as he was a pupil of Mrs. Queree. Your morning contemporary on Tuesday announced that the name should be published, and waxed indignant that such a protest be taken any notice of. Last night (Tuesday)-it was announced that the regrettable incident that bad occurred was a mistake—it was not a competitor, but an outsider, who objected, and all the competitors were willing for Mrs. Q'u«ree's pupils to compete. I think, considering the amfiunt of talk that is now going on, it should be known that I had the courage to make the objection,. and why, especially as I had a letter from Mrs. Queree, in which she says, "You are'not upheld by either the committee, the judge, critics, the public—or even youi' own pupils"! Which is not correct. My four pupils, Mrs. Symes, Mrs. Lewis, Miss Baddelejy and Miss Clark, deny this to me. Now that ' public have heard one. side, ,it is. only fair that they. should have the other. When I was invited this year to again bring my pupils down, I saw who was to be the accompanist, and I wrote to Mr. Dykes, and said: This lady is a teacher of . singing in Wellington—surely her pupils would not be allowed to compete. It would bo so unfair for all the other competitors. I have now got his letter from Wanganui, and I can now quote his' exact words: "September 25.—Your letter of September 21.. to hand,, for which I thank you. , I have'gone carefully into your request, and quite see the force of your remarks. Regarding tlio remarks re the official accompanist, I have to advise that none, of her pupils will be competing.' Wo made this quite clear to her before offering her the position." And ; yet, at the end of Mrs. Querce's letter to me yesterday, she says: "I might state that there was no stipulation of any kind, at any time, as to my pupils 'being barred." - . . . .Such a thing ns this happening will not tend to make th'eso competitions popular. I naturally, relied on the committee, or their secretary (who is theii' responsible agent), keeping their word. No explanation of this has been made to the public, but I am just the black sheep who is to bear all the blame. - Furthermore, there is a rule in the competitions that an instrumentalist may have one rehearsal with tho accompanist, and that in the "open to all" competitions you can bring your own accompanist. In the other sections no pupil is allowed to have a single' rehearsal with' the accompanist. Then .why can Mrs. Queree play for her pupils? Not only that: It is a great advantage to havo your teacher, il she ban play well. To begin with, it gives a pupil'confidence. If they hurrythe tempo the .teacher can hold tliem back, or vice versa. She Knows their weak spots, and can help cover them. She knows exactly, in a long-sustained note how far her pupils can hold their breath, etc. Therefore, under these conditions I say it is not a fair contest, and no end of teachers agree with me. That is why, before I entered my .pupils, I wrote to Mr. Dykes. It has also been said—why did I not make my objections so'oner? After I had been in this town a day or two I heard that Mrs. Queren's pupils had entered, and I went to Mr. Dykes and told him. His reply was, "What can I do? I told Mrs. Quereo sho -was not to lot any enter. I do not know who her pupils are." Neither did I! But J naturally thought that' as soon as Mr. Dvkes knew about it he would find out, After the competitions on Monday morning one of my pupils camo to mo and vaiil, "I have "inst heard thai: Mr. Howse i; a pupil of Mrs. Queree." T was amazed, and would not believe it. To make sure T began to make inquiries. As soon as I got it from' a reliable source (it was not until kit o'clock tlwt I was able to get

Mr. Dykes), I told him about it, and suggested that tho matter could be got Over quietly, and that the next highest in marks should take his place. Last year it was first arranged everyone could firing their, own accompanist. 1 was coming, and should havo'played for my pupils, but I pointed out this would no't be fair to other competitors who were coming long distances, and would have to take anyono who would play for them. So this tiino it was against my own interests. All I desire is to see fair play. May I ask you to .kindly insert this in your next issue?—l am, etc., 3 EMILY BRIGGS (Late Professor L.A.M., London),