THE COMPETITIONS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 302, 15 September 1921, Page 8

THE COMPETITIONS

DRAWING TO A CLOSE CHOIR CONTEST WON BY PETONE METHODIST Tho friendly fighting and the joyous tumult of the competitions concluded yesterday at tho Town Hall, and all that now remains, are the three demonstration nights at which a galaxy of delighted winners of the various sections will appear in gems from the extensive repertoire provided hy the society’s ample book. The chief attraction lastevening was the choir contest, for which there were three entries only. Inc view of the substantial prize offered it was surprising that the x entries were not more numerous, especially as such a contest provides a, choir with a definite objective. The results of yesterday’s competitions were as follow: — j

Piano Duct (open class;. Own selection.—Recalls: Misses Dorothy and May Talbot, Horace Robinson and Edwin Tanner. Highly commended, Vera Bocsley and Mavis Dillon. Final: Misses Talbot, 181 poinfe, 1; -Messrs. Robinson and Tanner, 178 points,

Vocal Duet (gentlemen). Own selection.—Final: Messrs. .A. Oakcy and H. Phipps, 168 points, 1; Messrs. Robbins and Okey, 16(5 points, 2; Messrs. S. Temple and R. Smith, 152 points, 3.

Dickens ChalractA’’ Sketch -(ladies)'. Own selection. —Recalls: Miss Enid Frye, Christchurch, and Miss May Bain, Auckland. .

Final: Miss Frye, 110. points, 1; Mfss Bain, 98 points, 2. Dickens Character Sketch (gentlemen). Own selection.—Final: C. G. Kirk, 100 points, 1; V. points,- 2.

Character Dance (9 and under 12). —Recalls: Sinclair Breen and Rene Lander, 88 points, 1; Dorothy Manhire, 82, 2; Zelma Carroll and Trixie Luke, 81 points, .3 Operatic Dance (9 and under ,12). —Fiirj^l:' (Martin Carroll, 1; Si'nclailr Breen. 2; Trixie Luke and! Rene Lander, 3. Piano Solo, "La Truite” (SchubertHeller), 16 and under 18 years.—Final: Miss May Talbot, 181 points, 1; Mr. Bellhouse, 174 points, 3. Recitation, Wellington . Competitions Society’s Scholarship, "Old Sedan Chair” (Dobson), and own selection. Final: Miss Mary Cooley, 285 points, 1; Mr. C. , ‘G. Kirk. 275 points, 2; Miss Hazel Jeffreys, 271 points, 3; Miss Gammon, 263 points, 4. Vocal Duet (ladies). Onn selection. — Final: (Misses Doris and Marjorie Clarke, 168 points, 1; Miss Gwen Esau and Winifred Ramsay,. 161 points, 2; Misses Harper, 157 points, 3. Choir Contest, "Send Out Thy Light”’* ond own selection. First prize, .£5O and Begg and Co.’s challenge shield. 'Gold' medial for conductor of winning choir.— Result: Petone Methodist, 171 points, 1; St. Mary of the Angels, 149 points-, 2. ■ In delivering judgment in this section Mr. Lavers condemned the choice of the selected anthem as hackneyed and unworthy, and he hoped that something better would bo chosen next year. The anthem did not reach a- very high standard. He found that the St. Mary of the Angels choir in the Gounod number took the tempo too slowly, the intonation was faulty, and there was a fair balance only. In the unaccompanied number there was much better blend and delicacy of treatment. There was a. drop in tho pitch. Tho Petone Methbdist Choir's tempo in the anthem was much better. The sopranos and altos, and tho choral values 'were better. They had a nice pianissimo, but also dropped in pitch. Quartet, male voices, '‘The Trumpeter” (Dix).—Filial: Petone Male Quartet, 169 points. 1. Only one entry.

Children’s Play.—" Puck and the Fairies,” 100 points. 1; "Hubert and Arthur,” 90 points, 2; “The: Rose and the Wind,” 80 iwints, 3.

| EVENING PROGRAMME. ?

Last. evening's programme attracted ; very large audience' to the Town Hall It opened with the encounter betweei Titania and Oberon from "A Midsum iner Night’s Dream/’ very cliarminglj played by a bevy of pretty children decked out in all the dainty habilaments peculiar Ito fairies. In the piano solo, “La Truite” (Schubert), Air Lionel Bellhouse and Miss May Talbot appeared for final judgment. ®Th( young lady gave much the brighter am' more interesting interpretation. One oi the most important decisions 1 given lasi evening was ’that in connection with tht contest for the society’s scholarship for elocution. Miss Gladys Gammon recit cd the part t>f the death of Minnehahr from Longfellow’s “Hiawatha” very emotionally. Mr. 0. G. Kirk selected “The Old Sedan Chair” (Dobson), a, very charming poem embodying pretty sentiments of the days, when my lady went hither and thither in the ’ sedan' chair of the Restoration period. Miss Haze] Jeffreys recited with excellent dramatic effect the full stanza treating with Minnehaha’s death, and Miss Mary Cooley recited most intelligently in fine voice "The Old Sedan Chair.” Miss Enid Frye gave 'quite a remarkable portrait of “Miss Mowcher” from "Davud Copperfield” in the Dickens’ section for ladies. She was the scandal-mongering and malicious, deformed little woman to the life—this quaint original of the modern toilet specialist. It was a most difficult character capitally realised. Another good bit of well-sustained character work was the “Mrs. Gummidgo” of Miss May Bain, who presented .the quintessence of human woe in this “wale of tears.” In the pianoforte duet, Misses Dorothy and May Talbot gave a sparkling reading of the final movement from Weber’s "Concerto” (Opus 79), and in the same "final” Messrs. Edwin Tanner and Horace Robinson played the Valse de Fleurs from Tschaikovsky’s "Casse Noisette” (Nutcracker) Spite. In the vocal duet for ladies Misses Doris and Marjorie Clarke sang “The Day is Done” with much charm. In the Dickens section for men, Mr. C. G. Kirk impersonated with startling vividness Mr. Smallwood from "Little Dorrit,” and Mr. V. Evans gave a faithful representation of Uriah Heep from "David Copperfield.” The chef d’oeuvro of " the evening’s programme was the choir contest. St. Alary of the Angels choir (under Air. E. J. Healy) commenced, presenting a fine ensemble in the test anthem "Send Out Thy Light” (Gounod). The balance was good, the (one rich and full, but hero and there in this difficult work there was a slight departure from tine pitch, once by the bass section and on another occasion by the sopranos. On the whole the effect was good, well shaded expression and good accent. Tn the "own selection” number. "Tn This Hour of Softened Splendour,” the choir was beautifully in tunc, and gave e. delicate, expressive, and wholly qdmirable performance. The Petone Afethodist Choir (under Air. Lather) gave a careful and well contrasted reading of the Gounod number, but the tone quality Incited the richness, fullness. a.nd refinement of tone and oneness in phrasing which characterised the performance of the city choir. Prtone’s choice in the iinaeoomnaniod number was "The Sun Shall Shine No Afore,” a poor selection, nicelv sung, but in no way comparable to the extremelv beautiful performance of St. Afarv’s Choir. The decision in favour of Petone tame as a surprise to many.