THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 116, 13 November 1919, Page 11

THE COMPETITIONS

LAST EVENING'S FINALS

INTERESTING SECTIONS DECIDED Some pleaeing and interesting musical

and elocutionary classes were decided at the Town Hall yesterday afternoon, after The Post went to press, and the finals of several important sections were judged in the evening', when there was a very, large and quite enthusiastic audience. ' . i I This evening's programme will include^ ! two Highland danoing items, a vocal trio, a -diameter dance, two ballets, and various. yocal and elocutionary ,oprilpetitions. '■■ . , Further results of yesterday afternoon's competitions are :— ' f Recitation (girls, 9 and under 12 j years), "Nowhere." Finals : Section A, ] Miss Kathleen Philpott (Christchurch), 75 points; Miss Sinclair Breen (Wellington), 74 points; Miss Miriel Aitcheson and Fay Smyth (Wellington), each 73 points. Twenty-one entries. Section B. MKss Hazel Johnston© (Dunedin), 80 points; Miss Joyce Staff j (K&iapoi), 75 points; Miss Edna Ptirdie (Brooklyn), 74 points. Section C, Miss Betty Meriard, 76 points; Miss Noela Stevens (Wellington), 72 points; Miss ■ Phyllis M'Millan (Wellington, — points. .Twenty en- | tries. , . . . Classical dialogue (ladies and. (or) gentlemen), own selection; Not in costume. Recalls:' Mr... Lionel Inch and Miss Mabel Gallichan, Miss Fanny Kutnef and Mr. W. H; Spencer. Four entries. ' Operatic solo (soprano or mezzo-sopra- ' no), own selection. Recalls : Miss C. M. Ormiston (Whangarei), Miss M. H. , B. Jones (Wellington), Mrs R. J. Wildish (Gisborne). .Mrs. Edward Cameron (Dunedin) was highly ' commended on her performance of , "Softly Awakes 'My _Heart." Nineteen entries.; ■ Girls' song (16 and under 21 years). Recalls : Miss V. M. Newman (Welling■ton),. Miss' Mona Castle (Wellington), Miss Olga Wacked (Christchurch .. Twelve entries. "; THE EVENING'S FINALS. Last evening's finals, together with a couple of playlets and a story without words, provided a most enjoyable entertainment to the big audience in the i main hall. . .. | "The Rose and the Ring," played t»y seven small girls and an equally small boy, was followed by the Boys' recitation, "Home for the Holidays," as bright a recitation as one might ask. The first boy to appear, Master John Watchman, fully entered into the truly joyous spirit* o> the poem, and made a great hit -with the audience. 'He was given first' place with 76 points, a most popular win. The second and third places went to Master Maurice Hawken, with 75 points, and Ma-ster^ Francis Regan, with 73. points. The final of the girls' song (16 to 21 years) was not so generally pleasing as was the preliminary competition in the section, when all competitors sang the set test, Ivor. . Novella's, dainty littlei song, "The Little Damozel," for in [ charm the "own selection" fell behind i This class was an important one, for, apart from the laurels attaching to the winning of the first award, the prizel offered, .Messrs. Chories Beggand Co/s tuition scholarship, is a valuable one. •..', Mr. Gregson said that the work throughout had been excellent, and he .particularly, complimented the winner; \ Miss Olga Wacked (Christchuroh); whose I second song was the dramatic "Lor- | raine, Lorraine, Loree." In spite of the fact that she had lost four points through a fault towards the' conclusion of her'second song, she still led on the aggregate marks, 138 for the/test and 140 for her selection, a total of 278. (Applause.) Her enunciation had been very good, and the story was well told. He was also pleased with the high quality of tho work of the second prize winner, Miss V. M. Newman, 136 points for the'1 test and 139 for "Mountain Lovers" (a, total of 272 points). Miss Mona Gastle, who chose "To Miisio" as her second numbeiv gained 264 points (128 and 136), and was said to "be a promising' young singer..

The Shakespearian recitation, open to ladies and gentlemen under the age of 21 years, was a particularly' strong class, the performances of all competitors in the preliminary tests being of a high standard. Those who were recalled for the final were Miss Fanny Kutner (Wellington), Miss Bessie Thomson (Duncdin), arid Miss Hazel Jeffrey (Hataitai). The two first-named performers had chosen to portray the scene from " King John," in which Prince Arthur pleads with Hubert to save him from the King's dreadful' persecution. Miss Kxitner gave a highly-finished and dramatic rendering of the scene ~ infusing a degree of earnestness and the dreadful terror of a child slightly lacking in Miss Thomson's work, which was nevertheless a splendid piece of characterisation. Miss Jeffrey's selection, "Portia's Speech on Mercy" ("Merchant of Venice"), called for quieter, and, in comparison, level, considered treatment.. ' '

The judge,, Mr. Hopkins, pointed out faults of a tertdency to staginess in Miss Kutner's work, which, however, had been highly creditable, and had secured a slight advantage over the work of Miss Thomson iby her success in portraying the part of a child, fof Shakespeare had taken liberties with historical fact, and, had presented Prince Arthur aa a mere boy. Miss Kutner was placed first with 79 points, Miss Thomson being but one point behind.- Miss Jeffrey was awarded 75 points for her natural and well restrained work. , .'■■'.,

'- A comparison of the work done, in the mezzo-soprano solo, "Morning," andtho baritone solo, ".To the Forest," showed a goodly margin of points to the credit of tile ladies, for the men's singing was tiofc particularly pleasing, whereas the ladies' , work was. ■

Mr. Gregson said that the test had been rather too severe for many of the competitors, • and lie pointed . out that a good 0} and' A was really essential to good mezzo singing. Miss M. H. B. Jones, the N winner, with 143 points, had surmounted the difficulties of pitch without . trouble. The second place went to Mrs. X., J. Wildish, with 134 points, and the third to Miss V. M. Newman, with 133 point's. In the baritone solo, also a difficult number in point of delivery, said the judge, though actual notation was-fairly simple, tte awards were Mi. P L. Brady 130 points, Mr. Fred Gayton 128 points, and Mr. F. J. E, Gledhill 115 points. Kecitals with musical accompaniment are always popular with Competition audiences, and last." evening's work was quite good. Thq judge's award of first place, with 84 points, to Miss Bessie Thomson (Dunedin), was a very popular one, for the rendering of the pathetic story of "A Gentleman of Trance" was in all its moods and sympathetic handling really;■ delightful. Miss Evelyn Aitchison (ivall Bay) gained' second award, five points behind the winner, for her quiet recital of "Keep Your Toys," hardly a pathcti-c and not a dramatic selection. Her accompaniment was tastefully played by Mies D. Talhot (Kelburii). Mrs. W. J. Forsyth (Mastorton), accompanist Miss Talbot, chose, a wellworn composition-, "Jly tile Yukon Trail," and gained third place'with 78 points. But two recalls were made for the final judging'of the operatic solo, the

contralto, Miss Ida C. Snelling (Wellington),'who'sang "Sappho's' Farewell" from "0 Ma Lyre Immortelle," and Miss Olga Wacked (Christchuich), whose number was- "The Eavanern." ("Carmen"). Here again the honours fell to the Christehnrch competitor, with 143 points, Miss: ■Snelling gaining 132' points for her rendering of her choice, rather an ambitious one. Miss Edward Cameron, who did not appear -in the finals, was awarded 117 points forhei' singing of "As! se ,tv dorrai svegliati." The classical dialogue, another most interesting competition, was won by Miss Fanny Kutner and Mr. W. H. Spencer, who gained 79 'points for their work in the very difficult "Get thee to a_nunnery scene," if it may be so described, from "Hamlet." Mr. Lionel Inch and Miss Mabel Gallichan were placed second, with 75 points, for their interpret tation of a dialogue between Petrachio and Katherine ("Taming of the Shrew"): Results of to-day's competitions will be found elsewhere in this issue.' This evening, in addition to seyeral very entertaining vocal and elocutionary sections^ ballets, a character dance, and' various Highland dancing finals will be judged. . .