THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Post, Volume 55, Issue 55, 3 September 1923, Page 8

THE COMPETITIONS

OPERATIC CONTRALTOS

JUDGE STRESSES DIFFICULTIES.

The principal events in. to-day's programme at the competitions in the Town Hall wore the operatic solo, contralto, and in the Concert Chamber, th« New Zealand test rocital. At the conclusion of the morning's musical events,; the judge in the singing classes made some very intersting observations on operatic singing, with special reference to operatic contraltos. It was impossible, he regretted, to speak with enthusiasm of the singing they had heard that morning. Young singers, he said, were considerably overweighted by the cost of music, and there were few operatic solos available and suitable for the young- amateur singer, coming within her scope and interpretative powers. Operatic singing required special study, great sureness of voice, and considerable physique. It also required well-developed dramatic powers and the ability to visualise the scene. The dramatic circumstances under which the aria was supposed to be sung should he indicated in the singing. The average contralto in .grand' opera was the heavy p-art, and operatic j music was by no means easy to interpret. Personally, he thought that one of the two operatic classes might very well m future competitions be superseded by a classical section. Some of the arias were very suitable to the young amateur singer. Operatic contraltos were invariably written for voices of extreme range, and were too much of a task for the vocal powers of amateur singers. The operatic contralto of the Continent was really a very heavy mezoo-soprano with a prodigious range. At the same time, while'criticising, he would like to say that during the whole of the competitions no competitor had come forward of whom it might be said that she had no qualifications and was wasting her time in appearing. Following were the results of the events this morning :— PIANO SOLO. Open class. "Reveil So-us Bois" (Alphons Leduc). The recalls were:—Miss Ivy Middlemiss (Levin), . Miss F. N. M'Kenzie (Hamilton), Miss Owen King- (Island Bay). • I . PIANO DUET; U and under 16. Own selection. The recalls were:—Hiss C- Conlon (Petone) and Miss M. Leiraie (Wellington), Miss Frances Parker and' Miss, Hazel Hardwicke (Welington), •■ Miss Zelda Hotter and Master S. Buckmaster (Wellington). . : . . OPERATIC SOLO. Contralto. Own selection. The recalls were: Miss E. M. Buckmaster. (Hataitai), Miss Phyllis Gribbin (Auckland), Miss M. Allomes .'(Wan»anui)'. Mrs.- Thomas Watson (Gieborno). and Miss Hilda Nicholls (Kelburn) were highly commended. ,

NEW ZEALAND TEST RECITAL. Gentlemen. (b)' ; own selection.

The recalls were:' Mr. John Watchman (Karori), Mr. W. H. Moses ,Uhristchurch), Mr. William Kno.T (Wellington). SL r-', C- Chapman-.(Kelburn).' and Mr. Charles Blake (Wellington) were highly commended. : ■ .

RECITATION IN CHARACTER (Humorous). ! Boys 12 and under 16. Own selection. . .

The recalls we re: . Master Arthur f <K.llbl"ue), Master Bert ■ G°°d-' ™ (CWchurch), Master L. Shepherd Hataitai) Master D. Edwards - (ilasterton and Master Jack Pargeter- I Wah"anui) were highly commended. °