RIOT AT COMPETITIONS

Evening Star, Issue 20483, 14 May 1930, Page 7

RIOT AT COMPETITIONS

CROWDS INVADE STAGE When adjudicators at the choral competition at the Queensland Eistedd fod made a mistake in announcing the winners of the contest, a wild crowd surged on to the stage and surrounded the committee, demanding a re-staging of the contest. Pandemonium reigned, and it was half an hour before order was restored in the big hall. Dr Arnold Orchard, who was chief adjudicator in the contest, gave the decision of the committee of judges by calling a series of points which were, so far : as he was •oncerned, based on the order in which the the choirs wore listed in the official programme. Many in. the audience believed the figures were called in the order in which the choirs had made their appearance on the 'stage, an order which was quite different from their numbers on the official list. Consequently, many in the big audience believed that the Cambrian Choir had won first prize, while actually the Southern Choral Society from Victoria had gained the title of champion choir of, Queensland. In the resulting confusion, hundreds of the audience crowded on to the stage, and, surrounding the adjudicators, demanded that they should retract their decision. Shouts of “ Ned Kelly was a gentleman compared with you ” and “Daylight robbery ” were heard from every quarter of the hall. Police were called in to quell the disturbance, and had to rescue Sir James Blair, chairman of the Eisteddfod, from the angry audience. The rumour was circulated that tho judges had changed their decision, and some of the crowd chaired Mr Graham Burgin, conductor of the . Southern Choral Society, and rushed him on to tho platform. This was the signal for supporters. of the Cambrian Choir to chair their conductor, Mr Leonard Francis. There was an unprecedented scene,as the two rival parties swept on to the platform, brushed the police cordon aside, and tried to overwhelm the committee of judges. Police reinforcements were summoned, and at last order was restored in the hall. Then Dr Arundel Orchard announced for the committee, that by the system of marking used by the judges, the Southern Choir had’ been declared the winners of the contest. Hjs announcement nearly started another riot, but matters quietened down again, and, finally, cheers were given for tho winning choir by all the other contestants But many left the hall in an angry mood, declaring that there had been unfairness shown. .