1911 COMPETITIONS

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 41, 12 November 1936, Page 12

1911 COMPETITIONS

Wellington’s Initial

Festival

NAMES THAT CALL UP

MEMORIES

Twenty-live years ago to-day tlie first musical and elocutionary com|>etitions in Wellington were in full swing. The reading of the daily reports of that festival a rouses a host of memories for anybody who knew \A ellinglon in 1911. especially anybody who took an interest in music or amateur treatrieals. The "carnival" lasted from October 25 to November 11, ami was held in tlie ’Town Hall, then less than 10 years old. Time has proved that the audiences of those days were seeing a parade of London actresses-to-l>e. prominent business inen-to-be ami even Supreme Court judges-to-be.

“Whether competitions in music, vocat ami instrumental, and elocution, are uplifting or not will ever remain, in tlie bounds of the debatable, but that the spirit of competition is popular witli tlie public there can be no question,” stated “Tlie Dominion” tlie morning after the opening. “For some years AA’ellington has stood a little aloof, a little proud, disdainful, conservative., and rather with a sense of amusement about such competitions elsewhere. AA’e looked upon them in perspective with an indulgent eye, feeling rather superior, in a way, that AVellington had not fallen a slave to the fashion so readily taken up by the other centres. A year ago, Mr. J. AL Clark, of this eitv, was called upon to adjudicate in elocution in the Auckland competitions, and what he saw there convinced him that the competitions were a good thing for the city and a good tiling for art. Soon after bis return he canvassed a few of Wellington’s citizens, and in due course a committee was formed. A’esterday the New Zealand Competitions Society began its first carnival with over 1900 entries and a special prize list second to none everoffered in Australasia.”

Sponsors of the Movement. v

Tlie following were the officers of the new society :—President, Air. T. AL AA’ilford. M.P.; vice-presidents, Dr. Arnold Izard, Alessrs. George Shirtcliffe, H. C. Tewsley, D. Al. Findlay : committee. Rev. E. O. Blamires, Rev. Father Hickson. Alessrs. J. M. Clark, J. D. Sievwright, AV. A. Flavell. H. Plimmer, E. A. Blundell. D. A. Craig, J. 11. Helliwell, AV. E. Fuller. J. M. Geddis, A, AV. Newton, A. 11. Casey. .L E. Kernot, AV. A. Allan, W. IL Atack, G. Winder, T. Bush, R. T. Robertson; treasurer, Air. R. A. Keenan; secretary, Air. James Dykes. Mr. Fuller is the only one of these who now holds office in the AVellington Competitions Society. The judges were as follows:—lnstrumental music. Air. Harold Gregson; vocal music, elocution, oratory and debating. and dramatic. Air. C. N. Baeyertz: literature, Air. Charles AVRson : .original verse. Air. R. A. Singer; physical drill. Alajor Hulme and Air. Royd Garlick: scouts (first). Dr. Begg and Dr. Herbert : scouts (bridge building), Captain Duigan and Lieutenant J. B. Alacfarlane. Air. F. Aloutagne was official accompanist and Air. Alan McElwain, of Auckland, stage director. Drawing-i’ootn Entertainment. 'flic competitions attracted far fewer entries than are received for the Wellington competitions now, but. were favoured witli consistently larger audiences. The competitors came front all over New Zealand and several came from Australia. The pieces they chose to recite were truly Edwardian. The ‘‘Ballad of the Bolivar” was heard again and again. On the other hand, “Tlie Bride's First A’isit to the Butcher.” with which a competitor made a bit at tlie 1936 festival, was on the programme in 1911. Those were tlie days before drawingroom entertainment became defunct and tlie programme of the competitions wa.s adapted to the era. There was less scope for the theatrical. In fact, “The Dominion” questioned Lite propriety of lowering the house lights and training a calcium light on a performer who was giving a dramatic recital. There wa.s no provision for dancers, who tire so prom i nett I in the competitions now, but there were some competitions for flute, mandoline and cornet; solos, which have been dropped since. Even in the beginning they were not: well supported. A little competition toward the end of tlie carnival was a drawing-room entertainment, which tlie audience judged. There were two entries, the companies consisting of winners of competitions. Prominent Perfot'mers. Of the jH’oininent performers of 1911. at least one has gone on to fame on Hie professional stage, some have gained success in utterly different spheres of activity, some are still prominent amateur performers in AVellington, and some have disappeared from public sight. Stars of the first festival were Aliss Lilian I’ritehard, Atelbourne. Aliss Thelma Brown, Launceston, and Aliss G. Helen Gard'tier. Dunedin. Aliss Gard’ner is now teaching. The trio were near the top in all tlie elocution classes open to them, and others whose names may be seen in the results of elocution sections are Aliss Lulu Arnold, who, now Mrs. Sydney Tingey, was in the cast of a AVellington Repertory Theatre production recently. The greatest fame of any who performed in that year has been gained by Marie Fix. In 1911 she was an inconspicuous entrant in the Shakespenrean recital: in 1936. as Marie Ney. she is among the most popular actresses of the London stage. Among the men there was Air. 11. Picot, now tlie head of one of New Zealand’s most important business houses, and Dr. D. N. Isaacs, prominent in dental and bowls circles. Mr. 11. Phipps and the late Air. AV. \V. Goudic were among the entrants in men’s vocal classes, and .Mr. Gulford Bell, one of the reciters, later became a teacher of elocution and advanced his art witli the advance of science to become an announcer at ll'A. Air. It. F. Wood entered with Mr. D. Lillierap for the male vocal duet, and Mr. Sydney Tingey is to be seen among those who gave dramatic recitals. Talented Children. The placed performers in tlie youngest classes for girl reciters included Zita Chapman. “A thoughtful child.” remarked Mr. Baeyertz.' She was placed above Cecil Haines, a girl whose frequent performances at concerts and popularity' with audiences made her quite a AVellington celebrity. Leonard Power, a boy considerably older than Cecil Haines, gained a rather similar kind of fame in AVellington in the days when amateur concerts were popular. 'l'lll' competition reached a climax with a contest among pianists for a Bechstein piano. Ont of 27 entrants J there were, selected as finalists Miss

Rene Queree ('Wellington), .Mr. Baxter Buckley (Gore), and Miss Madeline Webb (Auckland).- Mr. Buckley was placed first and .Miss Queree second. The Town Hall was filled to hear the two classic test pieces played by each entrant. It was called "Hie greatest contest of the kind ever held in New Zealand.” Judges-to-be Win Debate. Tim winners of Hie impromptu debate were Hie Victoria College team. Messrs. D. S. Smith ami A. Fair, both of whom now sit on the Supreme Court Bencli. Competitors in the -sight reading class included Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell and Mr. Julius Hogben. who also competed in the impromptu speech. Mr. Hogben represented Hie Auckland Harbour Bridge Company in negotiations with the Government last week. “The competitions concluded in a blaze of enthusiasm at the Town Hall last night.” said "The Dominion” at the end of the festival. "From the organ panels to the back wall of the big hall there was packed a huge audience of about 3000 which manifested by every traditional sign its thorough eiijovinent of Hie performance given by fin; clever coterie of competition winners. Wellington lias been indeed fortunate iu its first venture.”