Zero Hour Approaches In Talent Quest

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1949, Page 9

Zero Hour Approaches In Talent Quest

THE big moment in the lives of many vocalists, instrumentalists and variety artists took place last night in the Whangarei Town Hall, when the finals of local Talent Quest were held.

Seventen competitors were selected by the panel of adjudicators to go forward to compete against the cream of the country districts on Thursday night Last night's winners were: — Junior vocal: Misses M. Davenport and Wendy Adams, John Spicer. Junior variety: Beverley Collinson, Yvonne Keane, Pam McDonald and David Thomson. Junior instrumental: Julie Tapper, Judith Bailey and Basil Ford. Senior vocal: Miss V. Moss. Messrs L. V. Canty and D. Alexander. Senior variety: Messrs P. Newberry and R. Pitman. Senior instrumental: Messrs P. Hooson and W. Print. With 24 entries there was no fun session and no quip last night, a full two-and-a-half-hour programme being run through in non-stop time. The junior vocal section comprised: A schoolboy, J. Spicer, who sang “The Rollicking Gay Highway”; Wendy Adams. “So Deep is the Night”; Miss M. Davenport, “When Irish Eyes are Smiling”; and Jimmy Leslie, “You Belong to my Heart.” Jimmy was recalled by audience request. Little Glenys Whitehead proudly stood at the microphone and went right through her song, “My Happiness,” showing no signs of artistic temperament this time. MORE FINALISTS.

Beverley CollLnson changed her number tills time, singing and dancing “Powder Your Face with Sunshine”; David Thomson acted and sang “The Flea,” and Ron Birch entertained with a song, accompanying himself on a guitar. One violin and three piano solos comprised the instrumental section. Heather McCullough played Greig’s “To* the Spring”; Julie Tapper gave a medley; and Judith Bailey played a Polish dance, while Basil Ford played the violin solo “Rondo.” There were four finalists in the senior vocal—Wendy and Audrey Adams in their duet, “Let the Rest of the World go by," Mr L. V. Canty in the tenor song, “I Heard a Forest Singing,” contralto, Miss V. Moss slngnig “The Better Land," and D. Alexander rendering “The Holy City.” Instrumental competitors were W. Print with his banjo, who played an “American Medley"; Peter Hoosoif and his piano-accordeon in "Invercargill March”; and the Ford Quartette, who played an arrangement of “Cherry Ripe."

Variety had only two entrants, M. Pitman with his ukulele, singing “Gambling Gay Old Darkie,” and Paul Newberry in a series of impersonations. He sang as A 1 Jolson, mimed as Charlie Chaplin and wisecracked as Groucho Marx. Practically all the piano accompaniments were played by Scylla Calkin, and the Whangarei Municipal Band were guest artists for the interludes.

In the junior variety section dancing was pre-eminent. Norma Gregory danced an Irish jig, Yvonne Keane did the sailor’s hornpipe, and little Pam McDonald charmed the audience with a Russian dance.