BALLARAT EISTEDDFOD

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7263, 20 October 1910, Page 9

BALLARAT EISTEDDFOD

A HUNDRED. NEW ZEALANDERS COMPETING. “The greatest eisteddfod in the world,” as the local “Evening Echo” proudly describes it, is now in progress in iVctoria. No less than AMOO is offered as prize money, a fact which has attracted enormous entries, the competitors hading from every Australian State* and ill addition to these over 100 New Zealanders are taking part.- In the literary ejections 300 com )x>siHons in prose, verse* and short, writing have been presented. In tl»e elocutionary section GOO have^entered. These figures, however, pall into insignificance beside the total foy vocal, music, and instrumental, in which no loss than 1300 competitors will lake part. The main feature of the eisteddfod is, of course, the band contest, m which twenty-four individual bands will compete, the entries in the three sections numbering 3S. The Wanganui Garrison Band is engaged, and, as the cables announce, the members have already-done very well in the solo items. Mr C. N. Baeyertz, editor of the “N.Z. Triad, nets as one of the judges, adjudicating in the elocutionary and vocal music sections, besides sharing with Hr Short (the King's Trumpeter, who recently toured New Zealand) and Piofessor lievan. of Adelaide, the of judging the choral work, for which sixteen choirs have entered. Mr Baeyertz is very popular in Ballarat. if the report of the “Echo” is to bo robed upon. “Mr Baeyertz is here again this year to adjudicate. I hope that those of you who competed under him la.st year have justified by his .kindly advice.” said the president of Hie society under the auspices of which the eisteddfod is conducted. Hind his remarks were received with applause, which died awar in the vigorous stamping of a stout, well-knobbed walking-stick on the, floor by an old gentleman. But Mr Baeyertz's popularity is not gained at of outspoken criticism, for j.r not enuring in bis condemnation faults. For instance. t in ’his'’'remarks on. the prepared he said most of the competitors seemed to miss the subtlety of the humor in “the Reciters.” from Barrv Pain's “Playthings and Parodies.” Tn/view of the controversy that arises from time to time regarding the mis- ■ pronunciation of New Zealanders, it is I interesting 1 to note 'that Mr Baeyertz finds fault: with the Australians in ‘this 1 respect. Ho savs that the main faults 1 tvere; Veterinary—vetin-u rry, veterirniy, veterinries; soliloquy—siliUqny; furioedy —few-rously; fire—fy-yer; . i>oem— pome and poxmi ;, telescope—tellyscopo; truant —true-ant; pathetically perth etically; mimmite—sum-miits formal for-mal; so hifcary—fialntairy. . ' • • The eisteddfod will extend over a month. Two weeks will be given over to elocutionary -and gymnastic work, and the comediettas, a ;week ; to choral, vocal and instrumental work, and a week to brass band. work.