COMPETITION FESTIVALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19092, 10 August 1925, Page 8

COMPETITION FESTIVALS.

Tho organisers of the competitions that closed with Saturday night's demonstration should not lose heart at tho limited success attending their efforts. The festival was by no means a failure. There aro surer standards of estimating success than statistics of attendances. Tho audiences at the actual tests were certainly disappointing, lamentably so ; but even against that should be reckoned tho crowding of the Town Hall at tho prize-winners' appearanoes. Nor can the full encouragement of that redeeming fact be extracted from any mere tally of attendance : it lies rather in tho notably deep interest that was manifest, especially in the eagerness with which the general comments of all the judges were received. An audience seeking tho mere pleasure of entertainment would not have followed with such evident appreciation speeches largely devoted to niceties of technique. Therein, if the competitions society will take heart of grace and push on with a very worthy enterprise, is the promise of great things. There were other auguries of wholly satisfying achievement in the future: the splendid rivalry among the choirs from the primary schools, tho excellent standard reached in many classes, the enthusiasm and serious intent of the competitors. The broad fact is that, after a long interval without competitive tests and in the face of numerous counter-attractions 'characteristic of a large city, a beginning has been made, and public interest, although not immediately responsive, has been awakened. Given the cooperation of teachers in the entertaining arts, the practical sympathy of folk really concerned in their fostering, and the requisite organisation of the festival itself, Auckland should have an annual festival of this kind at least the equal, in educative value and popularity, of any held elsewhere in the Dominion.