FINAL SESSIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 55, 3 September 1945, Page 7

FINAL SESSIONS

THE COMPETITIONS

TROPHIES PRESENTED

Demonstration concerts which concluded this year's festival of the Wellington Competitions Society were given on Saturday afternoon and evening, and were well attended. At the evening concert the Governor-General (Sir Cyril Newall), who was accompanied by Lady Newall, presented trophies won during the festival. His Excellency congratulated the society and similar societies throughout the Dominion for their services in bringing forward the latent talent of New Zealand. Lady Newall and he would always remember the competitions festivals.

The society's president (Mr. H. £. Brooker) said he hoped the day was not far off when, New Zealand would be able to give the finishing training to her artists instead of sending them to Australia for the purpose. He thanked all those who had worked to make the festival a success, particularly the adjudicators.

"In musical festivals, where many half-baked singers step out into the arena in search of experience, opinions, and encouragement, success or failure often depends less on the competitor's musical preparedness than on some small practical detail in the matter of presentation, commonly known as 'putting it across'," said the vocal judge, Mr. J. Leech (Dunedin) in advice to competitors at the conclusion of the festival.

"Nerves, the bugbear of the public performer and a part of the necessary equipment of every performer worth his salt, must be under control, for it engenders hesitation, preventing calmness, co-ordination, and continuity when their weakness is excessive. Get into your song, forget everything and everybody—yourself in particular. Create a picture and experience it, and beware of hypnotising yourself into stagnation. Nervousness is a product of fear-—fear of breaking down — fear of looking foolish, even (one of the most insidious forms) fear of being nervous. Learn to concentrate, and focus, and fix all your attention solely on the job of the moment. "Hear as many of your fellowcompetitors as you can, and try not to regard them as opponents. Try also to listen with an especially keen ear for good points, not for their slips. Compare one performance with another, but keep your own performance out of the summing up—others will know better than you of the standard of your effort. Lastly, remember that, though there will be only one prize-winner, there are no losers in a well-ordered festival, with a good test piece and high class selections of your own choice, all the competitors, even the lowliest placed, gain something, musicianship, knowledge, experience, self-control, good manners, and' other qualities that can hardly be obtained save by the ordeal of public performance. These are the prizes to be valued far above gold cups, rose bowls, medals, or shields." The list of trophies won was published on Saturday.