THE COMPETITIONS

Evening Star, Issue 23353, 24 August 1939, Page 7

THE COMPETITIONS

FOUR CLASSES THIS MORNING GILBERT AND SULLIVAN CONTEST BEGINS This, the eighth day of the thirtyeighth annual festival of the Dunedin Competitions Society, was a fairly quiet one. Only four classes were held this morning, two being judged outright, and recalls being announced in the other two. These recalls will be heard to-night. The Shakespearean recitation for ladies held in Victoria Hall, is the last item to be held in that hall this festival; to-morrow Burns Hall will be used for one section instead of Victoria Hall, In the Concert Chamber the whole of this afternoon was taken up in hearing the first section of the popular Gilbert and) Sullivan contest, candidates rendering selections from the beloved operas. . To-morrow the same contestants will be heard in the second section, giving gems from various light operas independent of the Gilbert and Sullivan. The prizes in this contest are the highest of the festival, being £2O for first place, £lO for second, and £5 for thirdl, the prize money being donated by the ' Evening Star ’ and ‘ Otago Daily Times.’ Results this morning— VOCAL. Judge; Mr C. H. Adolph Mann. SOLO, girls 16 and under 21. Own •selection. Miss Mama Payne, 78 points 1 Miss A. P. Salmon, 75 points 2 Miss Thelma Thomson, 73 points ... 3 Also competed: Misses. Pat Woods, Averill Reed, Norma Burns, Marjory Steven, Edna Winter, Claire Rouse, Joyce Cardno, Alice Gillies, Edith Gardiner, Jean Crawford, Margaret Bachop, Joy Watson, Dorothy Schmelz, Joan Wills. There were some nice fresh young voices in this class, said Mr Mann, and some of the pieces were very well chosen. The winners’ performances were very capably done. ELOCUTION. Judge: Mr Rupert Harvey. CHARACTER RECITAL. 12 and under 16, own selection. Beverley Gibbs, 102 points 1 Zelda Osborne, 92 points ... 2 Glenna Smith (Green Island), 91 points 3 Also competed: Hilda Callander (Green Island), Leone Cornish, Winnie Dowie. Enid, Carter, Cbryahthe Pagonis. Mr Harvey expressed disappointment at the smallness of entries, for the class had been'an interesting one, and, taken by and large, ,very good. The greatest fault lay in the inappropriateness of some of the costumes, and these created quite a wrong impression of the scene. There was a considerable amount of acting ability displayed, but there were times when the desire to act interfered with : the necessity for clear speech. Some of the excerpts chosen were not particularly well put together, and the result was » too-episodic recital. This applied in particular to Shakespearean extracts. SHAKESPEAREAN RECITATION, ladies, ‘Julius Csesar,’ Act 2, scene 1. From a class of 17 the judge recalled the following:—Misses 'Alice Clarke and Betty (Rhodes. DANCING. CHARACTER DANCE, not to include ballet, Greek, or Egyptian, under 14. The following were recalled from a class of 14;—Beverley Wix and Pamela Page. SPECIAL AWARDS. The following additional special awards are officially announced • Senior elocution championship, gold medal, men—Mr T. A. Tarrant. Mr Tarrant gained the maximum number of points, 25, a most unusual and very commendable performance. Junior elocution . championship gold medal, boys—John Calder. Challenge silver shield valued 25gns, presented by Messrs Charles Begg and Co. Limited, for highest ' points in soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto, tenor, baritone, and bass solos—Misses Doris Wilson and Claire Rouse. THE CONCLUDING EVENTS. The Competitions are now reaching their final stages, and the programmes arranged for to-night and for to-mor-row, the last judging day, are very attractive. The chief piano contest will be decided_ in His Majesty’s Theatre this evening, as will the boys’ elocution scholarship. In addition character dances, vocal trios, character sketches, recitations, and piano duos will be presented. To-morrow the finals in the Gilbert

and Sullivan contest will : be heard, the day hearings being in His Majesty’s Theatre during the afternoon. Burns Hall will be used in the afternoon, wjiere a character recital is to be presented. The evening programme in the theatre should be exceptionally entertaining. as the contest among vocal class winners will bo-heard,-the prize being Mr Phil. Barling’s rose bond. Interspersed with the various items will be a recital by Mr Paul Schramm, brilliant pianist, and instrumental adjudicator at the festival. Demonstration concerts will be given on Saturday afternoon and evening in His Majesty’s Theatre.