MUSICAL COMPETITIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 131, 3 May 1927, Page 8

MUSICAL COMPETITIONS.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The Manawatu Competitions Society welcomes the letter of Mon-Per-former in your issue of last evening and, although his questions are a little diilicult to answer, nevertheless they are evidence of a steadily growing interest in the work of the society. We have the backing and support of tho singing teachers of the town and yet there has been a strange reluctance among many of the singers to take part in the competitions. In the vocal section some very fine entries have been received from outside and the standard attained should be the best yet reached in Palmerston North. I might explain for the benefit of your correspondent that, in addition to the ladies’ vocal section, to which lie was apparently referring, there is a special vocal scholarship section for ladies restricted to residents of the Manawatu district, and lor this very good entries have been received. In the other sections, the same difficulty is not experienced; the junior elocution section is always well supported locally and this year the ladies’ elocution section is much better supported than usually, while a very pleasing feature is that the local entries in the dancing section have increased materially. Your correspondent is not quite correct in his information about last year’s championships. Of tho seven championships, vocal (ladies and gentlemen), elocution (ladies, girls and boys), pianoforte and dancing, only one, the boys’ elocution, was won by a local competitor, the others going to competitors from. Podding (1), Wellington (1), Wanganui (2) and Napier (2). It had been hoped that this year more local competitors would have come forward and kept more than one solitary championship for Palmerston North. In conclusion, let me assure your correspondent tliat there is no fear of the Competitions Society going into recess—never was it in a more flourishing condition. The record number of entries received, 780 as against 718 last year, and the quality of tho entries leave no doubt ns to the popularity of the .society with competitors, whilst tho support received from the public last year gives us every reason to hope that tho festival commencing on Friday will break all records from an attendance point of view. .1 believe that very soon the first week of tho May holidays in the district will be called “Competition Week” and will be looked upon as nearly as big an attraction to the town as Show week.—l am. etc., M. H. ORAM, Chairman oxecutivo Competiltions Society.