THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 48, 25 August 1931, Page 5

THE COMPETITIONS

YESTERDAY'S AWAKDS

CHRISTCHURCH SUCCESSES

The excellence of the programme at the Wellington Competitions last evening was recognised by the largo audience, and ever;' competitor was given an attentive and sympathetic reception. A fc-.iture of the entertainment was the ciminieiwinenl of the champion of champions class, which is open only to winners of senior or juniur elocutionary championships «t competi-. tions iv New Zealand or Australia. Awards were made as follows:— GIRLS' SONG, under 12, own selection. Ngaire Highel (Hataifai). S-t points 1 Dorern M. Culvert- (Khandallah) and Margaret Jenkins (Wellington), 83 points, equal 2 Thelma. J. Ahem (Kilbirnic), SI points 3 A uniformly good class with well-chosen solos, remarked Mr. Dixon. A remarkable feature about the singing of young children was the clarity of the words, whereas older singers were prone to devote too much attention to the production of tone. Most of the girls had found some difficulty with the upper register. CONTRALTO SOLO, "The Bitterness of Love." .Mrs. L. Hartill (Ngaio), 86 points 1 Miss Kathleen 0. Sawyer (Te Horo), 85 points 2 'A very high standard and excellent ■poioes," commented Mr. Dixon. GIRLS' SONG, 14 and under 16, "Awake, Little Flower." Miss Grace Nixon (C'hristchurch), 8S points 1 Miss Valeric Ashcnden (Lyall Bay), Sj points 2 Miss Meryl Daniels (Wellington'), Si points 3 The judge said that the general standard was fair, but there were two or three outstanding singers. The piece was well chosen, but practice in the upper register was necessary to balance the voice. NATIONAL DANCE, hornpipe, under 12. Recalls: Jean O'Connor (Wellington), Errol Wood (Wellington). Highly commended: Margaret Oates (Wellington), Rosie Smithers (Wellington)'. Other competitors: Bryce Glennie (Lower Hutt), Daisy Marshall (Petone), Betty V.lliott (Lower Hutt), Clarice. Sapwell (Palmerston North), Alma Longhurst (Wellington), Agnes Daily (Porirua), Jean MacLachlan (Christchurch). Diana Elliott (Lower Hutt), Peggy Mason (Mitchelltown), Jack Glennie (Lower Hutt), Doloiss Harris ( Wellington), Grade M'Kay (Wadestown), Valesfca Jeukins (KilbirBie), Dawn Larsen (Christchurch), Lillian Kennedy (Porirua). Final: Jean O'Connor (Wellington), 87 points 1 Master Errol Wood (Wellington), 83 points 2 Margaret Oates (Wellington), 80 points 3 OPERATIC DANCE, 12 and under 16, waltz time. Recalls: Miss Phyllis Oliver (Wellington), Miss Jean R. Gunn (Lower Hutt). Very highly commended: Miss Marjorie Penman (Kilbirnte). Highly commended: Misses Thelma Bartholomew (Wellington), Joan Raine (Karori), Vedras Remmers (Wellington), June Scott (Island Bay), Jean Denham (Roseneath), Dorothy Daniels (Wellington), Rita Gillen (Petone), Peggy Welch (Petone), Marjorie Newport (Kaiwarra). Twenty-nine competed. Final: Sfisa Jean R. Gunn (Lower Hutt), 72 points 1 Miss Phyllis Oliver (Wellington), 70 points 2 POETIC OR CLASSIC BAREFOOT DANCE, not Eastern, under 12. Recalls: Joyce Oliver, Wellington ("Sea Nymph."); Lomah M'Kercher, Petone ("Pan"). Highly commended: June M. Swainson (Plimmerton), Dawn Larsen (Christchurch). Other competitors: Peggy Smyth (Hataitai), Mary Callan (Wellington), Diana Elliott (Lower' Hutt), Zelda Corkhill (Northland), Jean O"CVmnor (Wellington), Roma Elsmorc (Petone), Joyce Knighton (Karori). Final: Lomah M'Kercher (Petone), 72 points 1 Joyce Oliver (Wellington), 70 points .. 2 HUMOROUS RECITATION, Girls, under 12, own selection. Vera Gilmour (Lyall Bay), 113 points 1 Joyce Graham (Wellington), 110 points 2 Joyce Newport (Kaiwarra), 109 points 3 The chief fault, said Mr. Baeyertz, was that the selections mostly lacked humour, and many were suitable only for adults. The winner was a very clever girl, and ■wonderfully natural. RECITATION, IN CHARACTER (humorous), Girls, 12 and under 16, own selection. Recalls: Miss Nathalie Pollock, Kelburn ("'Cinders"); Miss Grace Nixon, Christchurch ("Ooh! 'er"). Highly commended: Misses Dulcie Stafford (Wadestown), Joyce Dinnison (Brooklyn), Mary Hyam (Wellington), Constance Kelly (Northland), Valeric Ashenden (Lyall Bay), Winifred Hodge (Brooklyn), Phyllis Taylor (Wanganui). Thirty-three entered. Final: Miss Grace Nixon (Christchurch), 116 points 1 Nathalie Pollock (Kelburn), 110 points 2 Joyce Dinnison (Brooklyn), 109 points 3 Exaggeration and lack of subtlety were the principal faults, said Mr. Baeyertz. He advised competitors to begin to speak a little below the middle note of the voice and to avoid the extreme upper register almost entirely. PIANO SOLO, 10 and under 12, "A Skating Waltz1' and "Crinoline." Paul Magill (Wellington). 5)6 points .. 1 E. D. Craig (Northland), 95 points 2 Joyce Richardson (Wellington), 91 points 3 Mr. Jenner said there had been a very good standard of playing, a sure sign of careful tuition. A point he wished to make was that teachers should train their pupils not merely to move fluently over the surface of the piano, but to take the keys right down to the tone. The only hope for that was to teach the children to take care with each separate note even with the quickest of runs. Proper training when the pupil was first learning would do wonders. MAORI SONG, Ladies, any voice, own selection (to be sung wholly or partly in Maori). Recalls: Miss Kathleen Chappie, Christchurch ('Waiata Maori"); Miss Gladys Webb, Wellington ("Whisper of Heaven"). Highly commended: Misses Kythe Maeiver (Rongotai), Janet Stirling (Miramar), Winifred Tricker (Island Bay), Gladys Barton (Auckland), Mrs. Mark Tonks (Newtown), Mrs. Jennie Booth (Rongotai), Mrs. Truda Young (Palmerston North). Other competitors: Misses G Huggins (Hataitai), Kathleen Baskette (Lower Hutt), Elsa Hall (Wanganui),

Edith Pengelly (Miramar), Ruby V. Jackson (Wellngton), Marion Walince-Brown (Highland Park). Final: Miss Kathleen Chappie (Chrislvhurch), S9 points 1 Miss Gladys Webb (Wellington), SS points 2 A most interesting class because additional marks were given for the singing in Maori, said Mr. Dixon, and that brought out many beautiful New Zealand songs. He thought he was justified in saying thnt there wax reasonable material for a collodion of sonjis which might be called folk s-oiiiia of New Zealand. OI'KIi.ATIC SOLO, CVntloiiu-ii. any voice. nnt necessarily grand opera, own selucliiui. Recalls: Mr. Kay Trewern. Hataitai ("Tosca"); Mr. Geu. 17. Gray, Oriental ltny ("Toreador"). Other competitors: Messrs. Richard Maunder (Wolliiifilmi). A. A. Wellcr (Wellington), J. S. Reid (Wsingamii). Final: . Mr. Ray Trewern (ffiitailai), SO points 1 Mr. Goo. H. Gray (Oriental Hay), 85 points 2 The judge said that Mr. Gray had lost two points by stumbling twice. GIRLS' SONG, under 12, "The Sleepy Song." Doreen M. Calvert (Khandallah), S4 points 1 Dulcie Morgan (Wellington), S3 points 2 Xgaire Highet (Hataitai) aud Margaret Reynolds (Wellington), SI points, equal 3 Other competitors: Lillian Kennedy (Porirua),'Mavis Paton (Hataitai), Patricia Boocock (Island Bay), Mavis Tonkins (Lower Hutt), Helen Howlett (Lower Hutt), Nola Stafford (Wadestown), Joy Mulford (Khandallah), Phyllis Lovatt (Kilbirnie), Betty Rosenthal (Newtown), Ngaire Johns (Lower Hutt), Yolande Bitossi (Northland), Valeric Shopcott (Karori), Thelma J. Aheru (Kilbirnie), Joyce Wilkins (Hataitai). Margaret Jenkins (Wellington). The piece, said Mr. Dixon, was a very difficult one' for young girls, and required a keen sense of rhythm and very good breath control. The winner was the only one who sustained her notes and she sang in a very sweet manner. Considerable interest was taken in the performances of Mr. Laurence Searle, Hataitai ("Fra Giacomo"), and Miss Effie Bricc, Kilbirnie ("He Fell Among Thieves"), who opened section B ot the champion of champions class. (To the Editor.) Sir,—The general management of the Competitions Festival is so complete and efficient that it is a pity there should exist any room for complaint. In one important respect, however, one notices a surprising lack of supervision, viz., the absence of composers' names against the items set down for performance. Thus, we read, for example, that Miss A will play "Prelude," or Mr. B will play "Sonata": the obvious fact having been overlooked that, as there are hundreds of preludes and sonatas in existence, the audience is left in ignorance as to the identity of the particular number on the programme until the performance actually begins. This unfortunate omission cannot, of course, now be rectified in the printed syllabus, but the management should see to it that there is no possibility of misunderstanding on this point as regards the daily reports and advertisements..—l am, etc., L. D. AUSTIN.