AUCKLAND COMPETITIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14852, 1 December 1911, Page 5

AUCKLAND COMPETITIONS

THE FOURTH DAY'S WORK.

SOME GOOD PERFORMANCES.

The continuation of tho Auckland Competitions Society's festival brought largo audiences to His Majesty's Theatre yesterday. . f ,

The morning was. again devoted to preliminary tests in the solo pianist recital, the third section of ■ competitors giving their performances'. The fourth and last section will play this morning, and from all who have played the judge (Professor Ives) will select three for »a final test to be held on Saturday night. There were nine competitors in yesterday's section, and all underwent the test. They were: —Misses P. Mills, M. Lewis, C. Biggins, D. White, M. Lusher, and E. Webb, of Auckland; M. Taylor, Tuakau; Mrs. Rogers, of Poneonby, and Mr. R. Yates, of Auckland. Tho competitors who will play in the section this morning include Mr. Baxter Buckley, of Gore, who won the corresponding contest in the Wellington competitions.

VOCAL COMPETITIONS.

MEZZO-SOPRANO SOLO.

There were 20 entries in the mezzosoprano solo class, and 15 ladies sang. The solo set for the test was Goring-Tliomas's "A Summer Night," The following were tho competitors: Misses E. Carter (Auckland) C. Whitburn (Mount Eden), Grace Butcher (Auckland), G. Gordner (New Lynn), E. Moon (Auckland), E. Bell (Cambridge), M. Goodwin (To Papapa), F. Hare (Mount Albert), E. McGuire (Ponsonby), A. Laver (Auckland), G. McDonald (Auckland), G. Whyte (Auckland), M. Carey-Wal-lace (Invercargill), M. Crosby (Mount Roskill), and Mrs.,,A. Jenkins (Hamilton). In the. preliminary trials .Misses Carter, Moon, and Carey.Wallace were selected to sing again in the evening.

Miss Carey-Wallace was praised by the judge for a fine voice, particularly suited to tho song. The solo demanded in tho voice all the qualities that belonged to the true mezzo-soprano— breadth and richness especially—and in tho singer much feeling. All three had good voices; uut Miss Wallace's conception and treatment were the best. . Her performance was marred, however, by tho constant use of the tremolo, a device which found most valuable use in the song, but only in parts of it. The singer had.also lost the climax in the music by taking an optional note instead of a high one. Miss Moon haa gr.iuned him by singing much better in the evening than in the afternoon, wun a quality of voice that strongly -suggested great depths of feeling. Miss Carter, who had commenced rather nervously, had a voice somewhat too bright for the class of song, and adhered rather too closely to the written note-values. The awards were—

Miss M. Carey-Wallace (Invercargill), 88 marks ••• ••• 1 Miss i£. Moon (Auckland), 86 marks... 2 Muss E. Carter (Auckland), 84 marks... 3

OPERATIC BASS SOLO.

There were omy three competitors for tJne operatic uasa —iuessrs. J. iviismbon (iuormiigsiae), P. roweil (Wixmi), ana it. Uenuw' (Mount l^aeu)ana tne uiasa was union last evening wiuiout any eliminating trial, J.lie test ooio was ' xne uait ox uuid, " irom '* rauat." jne juuge remarked upon the fact that ail tne Competitors mauo use ol copies oi me song, in * operatic woi k tnere jsuouia oe no reieience wj one book, and line singers anouid, wiuiout neccasauiy acting, matte use oi appropriate gesture, -tor uitn-ance, in tins euro, a sneering lone would oe appropriate, naving regard to tne cueuuiatances in wnicn it was . supposed to oe sung, and wnicn the soloists aid not seem to manse well. Xne truiy operatic elements were lacking irom an tne perioralances, yet tuey wore tne oest enort in tue way oi operatic singing mat ue nau noaiu ill tne competitions. iur. Atkinson sang at me l'lgnt tempo, but ills voice nad limitations wmcn ne aid not overcome. iur. fowen, on the otner nund, nad a voice very suiiaDie . lor AiepihsUipneles, producing a somewnat strident quality. He maae iur too mucn use oi tne copy. lie nad tne voice lor tne song, nut not the aunospnere. j*ll'. uenow s' voice was good, anu ma tempo was lair, and ne useu some nice word accentuations, ilie award was: •

Air. R. JDeliow (Mount Eden), 84 marks ... ... ... ••• ••• 1 Air. J- Atkinson (Mormngside), 81 marks ... ••• — Mr. if. roweii (Waihi), b0 marks ... o

SACKED SOLO (OPEN).

. The song "lie Thou Faithiui" (Mendels&onn), was : the test, sacred solo tor tenors. The preliminary tests were held yesterday aiLtiruoon, wiwn out. ol It entrants, tne loiiowing competitors sang Messrs. G. M. Jtiowe lutey Liyuuj, vV. 1! irth (Aucidanaj, J!i. Dennis .Day), S. L. JCiXton (Aucklauaj, A. 11. Jctipiey (Grey Lynn), d. cauuay (Mount J^osu.m;, X. Joimstone (Auckland), W. Walter (Auckland). Messrs. Firth, Fish and Exton were selected to siug in trie final. Mr. Howe was also., recalled, . ana '.had to •"sing oil " again to euauie tne iuage to deciae between nis claim and that, oi Mr. tuxion to the place. The three will sing anally to-morrow evening. INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC. B FLAT CORNET .SOLO. The final competition in the B fiat comet solo was taken last night, the competitors chosen on Monday . being Messrs. "A. Wilkinson (Auckland), H. oryselL.i Wanganui), and G. Flower, iWinuugarei). i xne solo was Hoch's' "i\ ordisehe." None ol the periormances was oi nigh merit, each player slipped notes, and the playing was not clean. Mr. Crysell scored oy considerably better technique than tno otners showed, , coupled with good tono ana intonation. Mr. Flower made the mistake of starting with his' cornet a little blimp, and it became sharper as he went on. Mr. Wilkinson was very nervous, and his performance., suiieredgreatly on that account. The award was : Mr. H. Crysell (Wanganui), 87 marks ... 1 Mr. A. Wilkinson (Auckland), bo marks & Mr. li. slower (Wnangurei), fail marks 6 ELOCUTIONARY ' CONTESTS. MUSICAL MONOLOGUE (LADIES). Misses Bartley (Ponsonbyj, K. Major (Auckland), May Bain (Auckland), B. Fun-don IFarneli), M. Flux (Wellington), M. Carey-Wallace (Invercargill), F. Paeey (Dunedin), and Arnold (Wellington), ana Mrs. D'Authreau (Devonport) were the competitors in the ladies' musical monologue class. Each selected her own piece. The pieces chosen did not give very much opportunity to the reciters to display any great dramatic ability. Tho first prize was taken by Miss CareyWallace, who recited " Jonnnie, Me and You," with very convincing characterisation and in a most appropriate atmosphew. Miss Zoe. Bartley recited in a very sympathetic and pathetic manner a recitation entitled "Snowdrops," and Miss Arnold gave " Butterflies," a simple little effort, very attractively. In commenting upon the selections, Mr. Hopkins suggested that in future competitors should endeavour to find matter of more literary merit' than was possessed by the usual musical monologues. "He assured them that the works of standard authors—Sheiley, Byron, and Tennyson for example ■■ : ; 'V* : V : ! ",'r, ■ V p

—provided an enormous number, of ex-, cellent selections most suitable for recitation to", an accompaniment The.' awards were: ' _ ;" " ' " ' : ~ Miss M.< Carey-Wallace (Invercargill) 85 marks... 1 Miss Zoe Bartley (Auckland), 77 ■ marks ... ... ...... ...., , ... 2 Miss Arnold (Wellington), 75 marts... 3 AN INTERESTING DEBATE. , REALITY OF THE YELLOW PERIL. The concluding item in the programme was the final debate on the question, "The Yellow Peril— it Real?" There were six entries of teams each of six men, andthese teams debated in pairs on Tuesday evening. The two, teams selected as being the best on the affirmative and negative sides respectively were University A Messrs. H. L. Powell, R. H. Melville and R. M. Algie; and Marist Brothers Old Boys—Messrs. J. Dwyer» C. Carroll,, and E. Casey. Dr. Bamford and Mr. R. Mc"Veagh acted as judges, Dr. W. C. W. MacDovvell as referee,, and, Mr. C. Hudson as chairman. The debate was highly interesting, as a great number of strong points were brought out by each side, and the speakers all showed considerable ability in putting their views v into vigorous English. ■ v _ . "~ K 'y ; . , At the conclusion of the debate the judges announced, through the referee,' that they had had much difficulty in deciding which was the better team, but that they had agreed that the University team had won by a small margin. TO-DAY'S PROGRAMME. , END OF CHOIR CONTEST. The first work to-day, and occupying the morning, will . bo the final section of the big entry of performers in the solo pianist recital. In the . afternoon the eliminating trials of 12 competitors in the bass sacred solo class' will be held. The selection is the recitative and am, "Honour and Arms," from Handel's ''Samson.'? -This will be followed by the soprano solo (restricted class), "0, Flower of All the World" (Finden), for which thera are, five entries. The contralto solo (restricted class), "I'll Rock you to' Rest" (Stamford), has nine entries.; The bass solo (restricted class) has 12' entries. The solo is Wallace's "Son of Mine." The restricted classes-are for performers who have neither taken fees' for entertaining nor won prizes at competitions. In each of the classes named three' performers will be selected to reappear. The bass and soprano finals will take place this evening, but the contralto class will not bo adjudicated upon till to-morrow night. This evening ~ the choir, contest, will be' concluded. The three choirs in the contest sang the them on Wednesday pierht. This evening they will, sing the hymn "For those, in Peril on the Sea," and Failing's part song "Moonlight.'V The winning choirs will then be , declared. V' Six entries have been received for a character dialogue competition, and all these performances will be taken ,in > the evening. .There .will also be. eight impromptu " speeches by as many, aspiring stump-orators, and in this class and that for dialogue; the winners will be declared. ■ •*., V •