THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 44, 20 August 1938, Page 11

THE COMPETITIONS

TWENTY-FIRST YEAR

START MADE TODAY

n-p^fi?* the record number of entries of 4445, more th^n 400 in excess of the f,„ ? s o« a«y Previous occasion, the twenty-first annual festival of the Wellington Competitions Society, which began today, promises to be one of the best ever held, in quality as well as in quantity of the competition. As in past years the classes will be held m three different halls, tha main Town Hall, the Concert Chamber, and the Blue Triangle Hall, and broadly speaking the three halls will be used m the day-time for dancing, singing, and elocutionary numbers respectively. At night only the Town Hall and the Concert Chamber will be used for variety concerts featuring the cream of the talent at the competitions. The Wellington Competitions Society has always exercised particular care in the selection of its judges, and this year's panel is of a quality no less inferior to that of past festivals. Three judges who have become wellknown to competitors of recent years, [Mr. John T. Leech, of Dunedin; Mr. Ernest Jenner, of Christchurch; and Mr. Walter Russell-Wood, of Dunedin, will be adjudicating on the vocal, instrumental, and elocutionary classes respectively, and the indications are that they will consolidate the popularity that they have built up for themselves by their help to competitors. Miss Rona Vaughan, of Christchurch, will judge the fancy dancing, a very important section of the competitions, and the national dancing adjudication willbe in the capable hands of Miss Muriel Waugh, also of Christchurch. The festival is to be officially opened by the Mayor, Mr. T. C.-A. Hislop, at the first evening concert in the Town Hall tonight. A wide variety of musical, dancing, and novelty Items is included in the programme for presentation tonight, the high lights being several ballets in costume, a number by a harmonica band, and two mouth organ solos. In the Concert Chamber there will be competitive classes for the popular song hit class, the "Katherine Mansfield" recitation, and the men's recitation. Mr. Paul Schramm will be the judge of the mouth organ class, all of the competitors in which will be heard tonight. The -class for the original musical composition attracted entries from all oyer New Zealand and was won for the second time in succession by Madame Betts-Vincent, of Wellington, whose song, "In the Clover," was highly praised by the judge. .A Hastings man, Mr. H. G. Spackman, was placed second, and Miss Bessie Pollard, of Christchurch, was third. Monday's classes in the Town Hall in the. mornirfg are for a skipping dance (8-10), aand at 11 o'clock a tap dance (14-16), and in the afternoon for a character story dance (under 12), a poetic or classic barefoot dance (under 12), and a character dance (under 6). The morning's programme in the Concert Chamber provides for a girls' song (14-16) and a girls' song (12-14) in the morning, and a vocal solo (New Zealand composer) and another vocal solo (men's restricted class) in the afternoon. Elocutionary events in the Blue Triangle Hall in the morning will be a girls' recitation (12-14), and a boys' recitation (under 12), and in the afternoon the classes will be for a humorous recitation in character (under 16) and for boys' junior test recital (12-16)- , ■„ ,IAIC\ The class for a clog dance (14-16) which was set down for competition in the Town Hall on Monday morning, will, be taken. On Thursday morning at 11.45 O'clock, as the 1 judge, Miss Waugh, is indisposed. TODAY'S CLASSES. Results' of classes taken this morning are as follows:— ORIGINAL MUSICAL COMPOSITION, Song and Pianoforte Accompaniment. (17 entries.) Madame Betts-Vincent (Wellington), "In tlie Clover," 85 1 Mr. H. G. Spackman (Hastings), "Why April Weeps," 79 2 Miss Bessie Pollard (Christchurch), "Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind," 78 3 Highly commended: Miss R. E. Rowlandson (Auckland), 76; Mr. C. L. Martin (Christchurch), 75. Commended: Mr. J. B. Durham (Palmerston North), 73; Mr. J. H. Rudall (Auckland), 70; Mr. J. McEvoy (Dunedin), 65. f The judge, Mr. T. Vernon Griffiths, of Dunedin, said that the winner's number was an attractive and well-written song, which was obviously the work of a sensitive musician. The introduction was well managed, the figures iof accomplishment were sustained and varied with musicianship, and the melodic writing was,pleasing. SKIPPING DANCE, 14 and under 16. (14 entries.) Recalls: Joan Tandy (Karori) and LGah Kerr (Kelburn). Very highly commended: Dorothy Winmill (Stratford), Ngaire Keys (Wellington). . _ ~ Highly'commended: Sylvia Gunther (Christchurch), Ivena Potham (Hastings), Ngaire Bray (Wellington), Mavis Trower (Petone). , . Miss Vaughan commented that in this section the work was very good, but too many of the competitors tripped. The technique of the recalled competitors was outstanding. GIRLS' RECITATION, RESTRICTED, Own selection, 9 and under 12. " "; ■ (43 entries.) Betty Jensen (Miramar), 79 1 Shirley O'Shea (Island Bay), and Shirley Adair Maybury (Northland), 78 (equal) 2 Nola Tremain (Feilding) ,77 3 Very highly commended.—-Deirdre Carr (Brooklyn), June Forbes (Lower Hutt), June Wharrie (Karori), each 76. Highly commended.— Joyce Cranmer (Northland), Betty Grant (Bel'mont), Noeleen Stick (Lyall Bay), Terris Kelly (Wellington). Suzanne Burns (Island Bay), each 75. "There was a lot of spontaneous work in this section," said Mr. Rus-sell-Wood. "The pieces were mostly well within the compass of the little girls and for the most part there was an absence of theatrical effect. The winner did very well with a difficult selection." BOYS' JUNIOR TEST RECITAL, Own selection, 9 and under 12. (14 entries.) John Shearer (Lower Hutt), 77 .. 1 Colin Ashbridge (Wellington), and Brian Hasler (Hastings), 75, equal 2 Lionel Kaan (Masterton), Clifton Johnson (Lyall Bay), Brian Barstow (Porirua), each 74 ..3 Highlyl commended. —Edward Richards (Miramar), Frank PoOlc (Wellington). While expressing his enjoyment of the work of the boys in this section, Mr. Russell-Wood said that in almost every instance the vowel sounds were nasal, and much good work was marred through want of variety of tone and the rapid pace at which most of the boys spoke their lines. The dinner's was a most natural pace.