THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23353, 24 August 1939, Page 19

THE COMPETITIONS

FIRMS' CHOIR CONTEST i D.S.A. GIVES EXCELLENT PERFCRMAMCE MISS HARM A PAYHE GAINS VOCAL SCHOLARSHIP Excellent singing was provided last niglit by the firms’ choir contest, which opened the seventh night’s'programme presented by the J)unedin Competitions Society in continuance of its thirtyeighth animal festival in His Majesty’s Theatre last night. Three choirs were entered'—Messrs Brown, Ewing, and Co. Ltd.. Public Service, and the Drapery Supply Association Ltd. For the former .Mr S. Lawn acted as conductor, and Miss Breen was accompanist; Mr J. T. Leech conducted the Public Service Choir, Miss Sybil Baker being accompanist; while the D.SIA. Choir was conducted by Mr Colin Oliver, Miss Joy Watson being accompanist. The first prize in this important contest was £5 os and the Invicta Shield, the second prize being £2 2s. These were donated by Mr T. C. Ross. The contest resulted in a praiseworthy win for the D.S.A. Choir, with Public Service second and Brown, Ewing and Co. third. Two scholarships were decided last night, the ladies’ vocal and the girls’ elocution. These resulted in wins for Miss Marna Payne, with Miss Nana Newey second, and for Mary Hopewell, with Leone Cornish second 1 . The first two quartets in the piano duos for eight hands were heard, the remaining two to perform to-morrow night, when placings will be announced. The remainder of the programme was a particularly interesting one, consisting of a wide range of excellent presentations, revealing some very good talent. The judges generally were quite pleased with , the work which came before them. Mr W. F. Abel was chairman, and the results were: CHOIRS. Judge: Mr C. H. Adolph Mann. FIRMS’ CHOIR CONTEST, (a) Part song (unaccompanied), ‘ Down in a Flowery Vale ’ (Festa) ; (b) O Happy Eyes ’ (Elgar, nuaccom- .. panied). Drapery,Supply Association Ltd.. 87. points ... ! I Public Service, 85 points : 2 Brown. Ewing, and Co. Ltd., 66 points 3 In this class, said Mr Mann, he looked for blend and balance of voices and also to see if the choirs had a clear significance of what they were singing. In one choir the contraltos had a habit of ipetering out, and their notes could not always be clearly heard, while the tenors in another case did not maintain the crescendo on an upward scale. The winning choir had commendable flexibility, and rhythmic tone was very well pointed where necessary. Pitch was well kept, and balance was excellent. This choir gave the best performance of ‘ Down in a Flowery Vale.’ The second choir possessed excellent blend, but gait was not as free as it might be. The third choir was weak in eiijuir. eiating final consonants. Pitch "ivas fairly well maintained. VOCAL. r Judge;. Mr C. H. Adolph Mann., LADIES’ SCHOLARSHIP, (a) Soprano, - 1 Tosca’s Love Idyll,’ key D flat (Puccini) ; mezzo-soprano, ‘ The Lake Isle of Inucsfree,’ key E (Herbert); contralto, ‘ Sabbath Morn at Sea’ (Elgar), (h) Own selection. First prize valued £6 Cs, second 10s, donated by Messrs Charles Begg and Co. Ltd. Miss Mama Payne, 81 and 82 points 1 Miss Nanna Newey, 79 and 81 points 2 Miss Phyllis Esplin, 84 and 75 points 3 Also competed: Mesdames E. D. M‘Rae (Timaru). N. E. Glass (Oainaru). Misses Thelma Thomson. J. Mearns, Claire Rouse. Marion Gubb. Gwennyth Milne (Timaru). Muriel Laing, Anno Kerr (Timaru), Doris Wilson, Edna M’Lean, Lois Campbell, Dorothy Barron, (Fay Harney (Oamarn), Alice Gillies. In the own choice selection, said the judge, many of the pieces selected were unsuitable to the singers’ voices, and this was so with the third placed com petitor. The first and second competitors were slightly better in their own selection than in the tost piece. BASS SOLO, ‘ Ballad of Semmenvater.’ low key (Armstrong Gibbs). Mr Raymond Wentworth. 82 points J Mr Tan M’Naroy, 70 points 2 Mr Colville Angus, 67 points 3 Also competed: Messrs R. Douglas, Nevill Power, A. Thomson, J. R. Henderson (Mosgiel). This was a narrative song, said Mr Mann, and it should be sung from the beginning in a rhythm which would reflect the inevitability of the tale. The competitors were inclined to make the song too elastic in their efforts to tell the story. BURNS SONG, own selection, musical settings of words by Burns. Prizes donated by the Dunedin Burns Club. Miss Muriel Laing, 89 points ... 1 Mr Charles MacArthur, 77 points 2 Miss Gladys Sinclair, 70 points ... 3 Also competed: Mesdames N. E. Glass (Oamaru), E. D. M'Rae (Timaru), "TRisses Nan Watt (Invercargill), Eileen Gillies, Averill Reed, Nanna Newey, Aline Kerr (Timaru), Eleanor Strachan, Messrs lan M'Naroy. Colville Angus, Harold Barnes, Walter M‘Donald, Lionel Powell. Judge: Mr Paul Schramm. CHILD’S ACTION SONG, under 12, own selection. Patricia Wood, 86 points 1 Beverley Wix, 77 points 2 Shirley M'Cormnek (Oamaru), 75 points 3 Also competed : Valerie Smith, Lois Yule, Valmai Gilmour, Kathleen Mutinier, Alma 'Johnson, Shirley Reed, June .Applegate, Alma M'Allan, Valinae Parquharson, Irene Anderson, Hugh Stevenson, Jean Grant, Joyce AVilson, Dian Geddes (Outram), Mlareia Pollock, Maureen Liddell (Invercargill), Joan M'lnnes, Joyce Taylor, Beta Cook, Valerie Littlewood, Mavis MacDonald (Mosgiel), Betty Briggs, Betty Applegate, Doris Melser, Ellen Merry, Thelma Jefcoate, June Tregilgus (Mosgiel), Valma Lobb (Mosgiel), Shirley Glengarry, Bruce Coveny (Christchurch), Ewen Cole. CHILD’S ACTION SONG, under 12, in character, own selection. First section Patricia Wood, 83 points ... ..V ... 1 Shirley M'Cormack (Oamaru), 79 points .’ ... ... 2 Valerie Smith, 74 points ... ... 3 Highly commended; Neville Madden. .-\lso competed: .Maureen Liddell (Invercargill), Hilary Mason (Mu.v

giel).' Joan MTnnes (Green Island). Valerie Littlewood, Olive Milburn. •Joyce Taylor, June Applegate, Valmue I 1 arquharson. Yvonne Scott. Kathleen Mutimer, Patricia Murray, Alma M’Ailan. Alma Johnson. Beta Coot. Arthur Holmes. Kay Gibson, Ronnie Cain. Hugh Stevenson. These were very good presentations, observed Mr Schramm, the winner giv. ing a very charming- performance, which, however, was not quite so good at night as during, the day. ELOCUTION. •Judge : Mr Rupert Harvey. READING AT SIGHT, ladies or men, prose and poetry. Miss Joy Kerens, 88 points 1 Miss Alice Clarke, 83 points 2 Mr T. A. Tarrant, 82 points ' 3 Also competed: M isses Frances M'Namara, Billy Loan, Elsie Kirkham, Peggie Griffiths, Margaret Scurr, Edith Lunain. lona Livingstone, Myra M‘Kcchie. Margaret M‘Lay, Messrs Robert Bradley. Cecil Oaten. (Ben Herbert. 1 This competition bad been more of an examination, Mr Harvey remarked. The first essential in reading aloud, apart from audibility, was to make the meaning clear, and several of the competitors failed to do this with the poetry. There had been no sense of ecstasy about it, and most of the competitors had 'turned it into not particularly well written prose. There was a general lack' of attack in the prose reading, and altogether he was not particularly pleased with the class.

SCHOLARSHIP FOR GIRLS, 12 ami under 16. (a) Test piece, ‘ Fidelity ’ (Wordsworth) ; (b) own selection. First prize valued £3 5s ; second 10s. Donated by' Mr E. T. Moller. May Hopewell, 84 points ... 1 Leone Cornishe, 82 1-3 points ... 2 Rosina Glen, 794 points ... , 3

Also competed: Sheila Ferguson, Beryl Herd, Noelinc Moody, Enid Hay, Florence Murray (Milton), Dorothy Rishworth, Margery Mnnro, Hilda Callander (Green Island), Pamela Gilbert. Winnie Sanderson, Patricia Campbell (■Milton). Enid Carter, Glenna Smith (Green Island). Mr Harvey said he had obtained all the technical quality he wanted from the test piece, and accordingly had asked the recalled • candidates to give their own selection, in which nearly all the competitors acquitted, themselves creditably. He had heerhpleased with the general quality, which was high, and he was pleased, too, to note that,the recalls, had.benefited from the advice he had previously given them.

RECITATION, ladies or men, own selection (not humorous).

Miss Alice Clarke, 92 points ' 1 Miss Margaret Scurr, 89 points ... 2 Miss Billy Loan, 87 points 3 Also competed: Misses Elsie Kirkham, . Myra M'Kechie, Margaret M'Lay, Peggie Griffiths. Norma Brown, Frances M'Namara, Margaret _ Ufton, Erin Ferry (Invercargill), Chris. Justin, Edith Lunam, lona Livingstone, Ivy Smith. Bettv Rhodes, Lilian Moulin. Betty Naylor, Joy Ferens, E. G. Taylor. Messrs Cecil Oaten, T. A. Tarrant, Glen Herbert. Mr Harvey said he gave his highest marks of the festival in this class, because lie was so delighted with the performances. The poems had been chosen with exceptional taste. The winner’s poem was a very difficult one, really more suited to being read than recited, but, the competitor rendered it remarkably well. SCHOLARSHIP FOR BOYS, 12 and under 16. Test piece and own selection heard.—There were eight competitors, and the following, to be heard again to-morrow night, were recalled:—Bernard Larsen and John Calder. INSTRUMENTAL. Judge: Mr Paul Schramm. PIANO DUET. 12 to 16, ‘Moon Fairies ’ (C. M. Campbell). June M'Call and John Whitworth, 83 points 1 Jean Nelson and Lenore Smith, 78 points ... 2 Elsie Hoskins (Waitati) and Rona Jackson (Waitati), 77 points ... 3 Also competed: Esther Smith, Margery Corbett; Margaret Gardiner, Esnes Searle ; Daphne Croot, Joy Thurston ; Helen Gibb (Oamaru), Vera Patterson (Oamaru) ; Marjorie Holdway, Joan Delaney: Eileen Fraser, Ran Lunam ; Betty James, June Rose; Shirley Lysaght, Phonsene Mooney; Molly Familton (Oamaru), Irene Gillies (Oamaru) : Evanthea Pagonis, Dorothy Watson; Elaine Robinson (Macandrew Bay), Patricia M'Evoy; Betty Payne (Waikouaiti), Edith Park (Goodwood) ; Noeline Plank, Daphne Docket.v; Dorothy and James Kendel (Christchurch) ; Audrey Hunt, Enid Carter; Joyce Pickard. Marion Allan (Portobello). The subject was a charming one. said Mr Schramm, but not many of the competitors played with the requisite fairy-like air. The winners came nearest to doing so. DANCING. Judge: Miss Betty Carnochan, TAP DANCING, suitable for musical comedy', without apparatus, 10 to 14. Section two. Trevor Phillips, 77 points 1 Pamela Page, 74 points 2 Norma Stewart, 72 points 3 Highly commended: Shirley M'Cormack (Oamaru) and Billy Mason. Also competed: Betty Fitzpatrick, Winnie Paul,_ Natalie Watson, Betty Palmer, Marjorie Hall, Lorna IReid, Betty Peat, June Goodwin, June Stanley, Dorothy Tyrrell, Shirley Hyslop, Wix, Irene Anderson, Gwendoline Tobin (St. Leonards), lan Walker (Mosgiel). This section was much better than the first, said Miss Carnochan, and the competitors had taken heed of advice previously given to como further forward ou the stage. Pamela Page’s routine was most complicated, but was just a little too complicated for her, and she lost rhythm. The winner had a, nice stylo, and her piece was not so difficult. Change of tempo was well executed. Generally, the class was one of the best of the festival. DANCE DUO, other than dramatic, under 16. Nancy and Norma Stewart, 89 points ... ... 1 Nola and Marjorie Hall, 72 points ... 2 Joan Lunam and Elkine Chapman, 69 points ’ ... 3 Also competed: Marie Hartstonge, Irene Leitcli, Beryl Gilchrist, Patricia Hanley, Valerie Brown, Betty Peat, Marie More, Patricia O’Callaghan, Maureen Keenan, June Goodwin, Olga Rowland, Billy Mason, Winnie Paul, Dorothy Tyrrell, Margaret Kane, Shirley M’Cormack (Oamaru), June Applegate. Betty Fletcher. The winners worked exceptionally well together, said Miss Carnochan. They had a splendid sense of time and rhvthm. The second duo were very bright. their miming was "cry good. Init technique was not up to standard.

CLASSIC 'Oil INTER I*IMITATIVE DANCE, barefoot, under 10. Delia Higgins. 71 joints 1 Norma Lane. 01) points - I’atsv Hesse. (i-‘i points ■>

1 was sorry not ,io see more oomI>V‘ti ttjrs In ‘this claw. which was ;i pleasant ’Olio.” Said t lie' judge. “ Tbere were some good performance'.. and the winner gave her dance with nice feeling.”