THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 46, 23 August 1938, Page 11

THE COMPETITIONS

LARGE AUDIENCES

BRIGHT EVENING SHOWS

The annual festival of the Wellington. Competitions Society continues to attract encouragingly large audiences daily in the three halls that are being used for the record number of entries That the quality of the singing, dancing, and elocution is high enough to appeal to the public was shown by the J expressions of appreciation evoked by last night's Town Hall programme, which aroused even one of the hardworking judges to enthusiasm over its general merits. Miss Muriel Waugh, the judge of the national dancing, who has been indisposed, arrived from Christchurch today and was to have taken the first of her classes in the Town Hall, this afternoon. Another first-class combined demonstration and competitive concert will be staged in the Town ■ Hall tonight, the twenty-two items on the programme consisting about equally of dancing, singing, and elocutionary numbers. The concert will be preceded by the class for the operatic dance (16 and over), which will begin in the Town Hall at 6.45 p.m. In the Concert Chamber the recalled competitors in the classes for the men's Scottish song and the duet will sing in their respective finals, and there will! be heard full classes for the women's vocal solo (restricted) and the men's vocal solo by a New Zealand composer. " ' Eight more competitors in the radio voice test will try their voices through the microphone at the 2YA studio toight, and the last nine of the class of 1 23 will be taken tomorrow night.

In the Town Hall tomorrow morning there will be only one class, that for the tap dance (10-12) > and in the Concert Chamber there will be heard only the class for the girls' song (under 12). Three restricted recitation classes will comprise the morning programme in the Blue Triangle Hall, the first two being for girls, 12 to 16 and under 9, respectively, and the last for boys of 12 to 16. In the afternoon in the Town Hall the classes will be for the poetic or classic barefoot dance (14-16), the solo song and dance (9-12), and the character dance (14-16). The Concert Chamber classes for the afternoon "will be for an action song (7-9), a jig (9-12), and a duet (under 16), while in the Blue Triangle Hall there will be heard the boys' humorous recitation (12-16) and the monologue (under 16).

The judge of vocal items, Mr. J. T. Leech, commenting on the class for a woman's vocal solo by. a New Zealand composer, heard last night, said that the standard was very high, mainly because of the simplicity of the selections. There was some good vocal portraiture. Some of the singing was deliciously light and fanciful, and some of the singers were calm and resourceful and met the requirements of sweeping- cantabile with credit The winner, Mrs, J. A. Wiltshire, sang "Tangi" with those emotional requirements one would expect at a tangi. The second-placed competitor, Miss Jean McLeod, sang "Nod" in a mellow voice, well controlled in sostenuto, with pretty vowel colour and appealing atmosphere. v Further results are as follows:—----OPERATIC DANCE; restricted, iinder 9 (30 entries). Pauline Bierman (Brooklyn), 78 .. 1 Patricia Knightb'n (Karori), 77 ..... 2 Very highly commended: Helen McIvor (Vogeltown), Norma Harris (Wellington), Arnol Bircham (Brooklyn). Highly commended: Doreen Johnstone (Wellington). Commended: Dorothy Jenness (Lower Hutt), Audrey Cuthbert (Wellington), Ailsa Wells (Wellington), Patricia Fraser (Wellington); Some of the little people in this section showed great promise and good careful work, said Miss Vaughan. GIRLS' RECITATION, 7 and under 10. (69 entries.) Lynley Wainscott (Lower Hutt), 80 1 Valeric Dighton (Berhampore), 79 2 Jean Alexander (Lower Hutt) and Joyce Cranmer (Northland), 78 equal 3 Very highly commended: June Wharrie (Karori), Patricia A. Wright (Lyall Bay), Noeline Goodman (Berhampore), Colleen Gay (Petone), Fay Compton (Kilbirnie), Adrienne Knapp (Karori). _, Highly commended: Valeric Teward (Lyall Bay>, Deirdre Carr (Brooklyn), Gwladvs Bailey (Khandallah), Jill .Kyle (Miramar), Joan E. Scott (Wellington), Betty M. Jenness (Lower Hutt), Pamela Hildreth (Karori), Lloma Larsen (Lower Hutt), Terns Kelly (Wellington), Noelene Graham (Masterton), Alsion Me Arthur (Wel^ lington). Mr. Russell-Wood said it was a splendid class with many delightful performances. The work was free of affectation, although some of the children spoke pedantically. They should be taught to speak rhythmically, and exaggerated speech should be avoided. If gesture helped to paint the picture it was desirable, but there was no need to interpolate almost every phrase with movement. The winner gave a charming recital and the second-place competitor was also engaging and clever. SACRED SONG, boy or girl, under 16. (47 entries.) Geoffrey Hill (Christchurch), 86 .. 1 Warwick Keen (Lower Hutt) and Rashleigh Finch (New Plymouth), each 84, equal ... 2 Highly commended: Shirley Wilson (Wellington), Shirley Boardman (Napier), Judith White (Brooklyn), Jeffrey Stewart (Island Bay), Heather Douglas (Masterton), John Jervis (Petone), Alison Connell (Hataitai). Mr. Leech expressed great appreciation of the class, and said that care must be taken to nurse the voice and to realise that even if breath control was naturally good phrases a definite relationship to one another and that children must be taught to phrase with intelligence. Songs of a too emotional nature should be avoided. The winner sang with musicianly skill and created an excellent atmosphere, 'though a few wavering tones needed attention. The competitors placed second displayed cultural sense and devotional word-painting. TOE DANCE, 9 and under 12. (26 entries.) Recalls: Nita Williams (Te Awamutu) and. Doreen Dickinson (Wellington) . Very highly commended: Pamela Trimmer (Petone), Beverley Gruar (Hataitai). Highly commended: Valeric Jackman (Wellington), Joy Pay ton (Brooklyn), Yvonne Algar (Brooklyn), Velerie Holder (Lower Hutt), Joy Smith (Kilbirnie). Commended: Beryl Richardson (Johnsonville), Pauline Boocock (Is- j land Bay), Ngaire Corkhill (Wellington), j The performers in this class showed some very good and careful work, said I Miss Vaughan.