THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 86, 8 October 1920, Page 2

THE COMPETITIONS

DEMONSTRATION CONCERTS THE PICK OP THE TALENT. Yesterday afternoon the 1920 Wellington Competitions, as competitions, came to an end for competitors and judges, ' but for the public the best of the season, | the three evenings and one afternoon do- | monstration concerts,' were still to come, \ for the final performances of the best classes of work are rightly looked forward to as entertainments of a very high ■■ order. The 1920 season has been a most prosperous one for the society, for the ! attendances at all sessions from the open- ■ ing day onwards exceeded the most hope•ful expectations, so much so that the elocution hall failed day after day to accommodate all those who sought admission, and on several evenings the Grand Opera House was filled to the boxes. Such attendances point to the I full appreciation and approval of the public—the Competitions have certainly j made good in Wellington. Taking them ' by and large*, there has been a marked improvement on last, year's work, in all j instrumental sections, the children's work is this year as good as it has always been, but there Tias been a little falling I away in vocal sections, more markedly in the men's classes, and one or two of the cleverer elocutionists of last year ■ have not appeared this year, for un- , fortunately the dates of the Wellington | i and Dunedin Competitions clashed, and ! ■ consequently a. number of South Island | competitors did not come on to Welling- i ton. Even with the slight lowering of > standaid from last year in odd classes, the work done in every section has been highly satisfactory and always enjoyable. i The. management of the Competitions has 1 been in every, respect excellent, and the decisions arrived at by the judges fully satisfactory to winners and "also entered" alike, a mark not only of sound judgment but of clean and healthy competition. . : ! Last evening's opening demonstration concert comprised much of :the brightest work' of the Competitions, all classes of j work being represented. The audience snowed its full appreciation of the performances. The programme opened witha piano solo; "Fantasie Impromptu" (Chopin), played with finish, even brilr liance, by Miss May Talbot, winner of > the Bristol Scholarship. Recitations, ' grave or gay, but alike in a high standard of merit, were given by Mis 3 E-thel Brice ("Guild's Signal"), Miss Mary 1 Cooley'C'The Shoe Shop"), Mr. J. j. Deere ("A Song of the Yukon"), Miss E. Aitchison ("At the Theatre"), Miss K. O'Brien ("Patchwork Philosophy"), Mr. K. S. Dillon ("A Clean Sweep"), Miss Florence Churchill ("I Don't Care"), and Master L. Searle ("Bank Holiday"). Miss M. Shearer was happy indeed in hier choice of her,musical monologue, "Ap, Gentleman of France." Hardily such a happy choice, however, was made by Mr. L. Inch in his characterisation of "Mark Antony." A pickens character sketch, "Nancy" ("Oliver Twist") was most cred*' itably enacted by Miss, Agnes Smith. The vocal items included an action song, "Foo the .Noo," one among very many, by Master James' Grieve, the girl's song "Aberfoyle," sung by Miss Una Fountain, "Solveig's Song," Master T. George, a duet, "The Rising of th» Waters." Masters John and Cecil Watters, a New Zealand song by Mrs. W. J. Coventry, a baritone solo by Mr. D. M'Gill, a Christchurch competitor, the contralto «010 "Look Up, 0, Heart," Mrs. Mercer (Dannevirke), an operatic duet "Battle Eve" by Messrs. A. Prouse and'A: L. Picfeett, and the sacred solo "The Lord is My Light" by Mr. S. M. Brewer. A vocal solo "Yearning" by Miss Phyllis .Massey, accompanied by Miss Chudleigh, and a slumber song, sung by Miss Easson, accompanied by Miss Joyce, with an obligato .by Mr. C. Smallbone, were also'enjoyable vocal items. The Thorndon Marist Bros.' Boys' Choir repeated their chorus "Angels Ever Bright and Fair," perhaps unexpected as a chorus, but still very successful. Dancing items by Miss Thelma M'Kenzie and Miss .Gladys Needham lent pleasant variety to the programme. The programmes for this evening and to-morrow afternoon's demonstration ' concerts will be fotmd in detail in another column. A special matinee performance will be, given to-morrow afternoon, when the Prime Minister (the Hon. W. F. Massey) and Mrs. Massey, and the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr. and Mrs. J. P Luke) will be present. Additional results yesterday were as under:— Irish Jig, in costume, boy or girl, 12 and under 16.—Thelma M'Kenzie, 69 points, 1; Margaret O'Connor, 68 points, 2; Josephine Moran, 67 points,; 3. Irish Jig, in costume, open, over 16. — May Thorn, 96 points, 1; Jean M'Kenzie, 93 points, 2; Heather Adair, 91 points, .3. Sword Dance, in costume, boys under 18.—David Thomas, 76 points, I; Willie Brown, 75 points, 2; Ronald Brown, 70 points, 3. . Reel o' Tulloch, in costume, boy or girl, under 12.—Jean M'Lachlan, 67 points, 1; Gladys Needham, 66 points, 2; Edna Year, 65 points, 3. Seanntriubha6, in costume, open, under 16.—Jean M'Kenzie, 98 points, 1; Heather Adair, 97 points, 2; Amy Rameay, 92 points, 3. Sailors' Hornpipe, in costume, boy or girl, 12 and under 16.—Thelma M'Kenzie, 75 points, 1; Willie Brown, 72 points, 2; Margaret O'Connor, 71 points, 3. Sword Dance, in costume, open, over 16.—Jean M'Kenzie, 98 points, 1; Heather Adair, 97 points, 2; Amy Ramsay, 92 points, 3.