ENDURANCE CONTESTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20420, 23 November 1929, Page 15

ENDURANCE CONTESTS.

A NEW ZEALAND PIANIST. CLAIM TO WORLD'S RECORD. [from our own correspondent. 1 SYDNEY, Nov. 7. Is Australia in for another series of endurance contests? Last year there were dancing contests, skating contests and various other contests, some of a "freak" character. Now a New Zcalander, one Albert Steele, has made a claim that he played tho piano longer than anyone else, has ever played that instrument. This sort of thing is bound to start something. It always does. If it starts nothing else it will start an argument. It is claimed that the little coastal town of Coff's Harbour was chosen by Steele for his record-breaking test. He carried on under tho supervision of a local committee, and he played that piano for 112 nours 22 minutes, and he says that he (bus beat Professor Kemp's world record by 18 minutes. While ho was in the midst of his self-imposed task news was brought to him that his wife had given birth to a daughter. Still he played on. Steele finished strongly, though it was admitted that he was showing signs of nervous strain toward the end. Early in the evening of the final day of his. performance he played for the local pictures. Lively jazz tunes comprised his programme during the last half-hour. Large crowds cheered him lustily when it wa3 announced that he had broken tho .world's record.

It, has been stated by Steele that ho will go to England in February next to meet Professor Kemp in a marathon match in London for a big prize.