THE COMPETITIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7978, 8 December 1911, Page 6

THE COMPETITIONS

TENTH AND LAST DAY

SPECIAL TO THE “ TIMES.” AUCKLAND, December 7.

Tho tenth and last day of tho competitions was concluded to-night. There now only remain the two demonstration nights when, it is hoped and believed, there will be big orowus. Though Queen street was filled with a gigantic crowd awaiting tho election results, there was a very poor attendance indeed in tho theatre, quite tho smallest of tho festival. Results: Character sketch in costume’ (open)— Miss Bartloy “Ophelia’s Mad Scene,” 34 marks, 1; T. Harris “Richard II.,” 76 marks, 2; Miss Arnold (Wellington) "Macbeth," 76 marks, and 11. Bouadale “Henry V.,” 73 marks, equal, 3. This section was ono of the best in the whole festival and was extremely piopularPiano solo (under 18) —“nioder ohue Worto” (Mendelssohn) Miss A. Snodgrass 01), 1; It. McNeill 88, 2; J. Srretton t>s, 3. In announcing tho result tho judge, Mr Ives, again found fault with the selection of the test pieces. ■ , Sacred contralto solo—“ Love Not tho World” (Sullivan), eleven entries with two outsiders (in Wellington thirteen entries with ten outsiders), Miss Hare 88,1: Mrs Jenkins 85, 2; E. Carter 81, 3. A had error of judgment was again made in this section, when the singer who gave quite tho best performance at the preliminary test was not oven recalled. I refer to Miss Carey- Wallace (Invercar gill). This lady has already won two firsts for singing here,, but for some quite inexplicable reason was not re called in this section or the Irish National Song. In tho latter section there were two other good performers who were not recalled. Xu fact it Was again almost a case of the first shall bo last. The judge, Mr Ives, said-that the winner gave a very sympathetic interpretation of the song and that .the second singer would have been good if she had not run short of breath- , Euphonium solo—“Thunnger s Wald (liooh). Tho instrumentalists again brought their refreshments with them ranch to the amusement of the gods. One of the performer’s instruments was very flat, so flat in fact that tho judge stopped him in the middle and told him to tuno his instrument. Ho tried to do so under tho shouted instructions of tho judge from the circle. As the performer was deaf and the judge - ' did not know it, it may bo easily understood that the euphonium solo class provided the evening's comedy. Dramatic recital , How -They Brought tho Good News from Ghent” (Browning), eleven entries no outsiders (Wellington twenty, seven ©ntx-ies, thirteen outsiders)—T. Harris 80 marks, 1; H. Boraidale 76, 2. The judge said that this was an excellent tost of enunciation and articulation. All the competitors took it too quickly and made their gestures too literal. The second reciter was almost sing-song. He emphasised tho rhythm instead of the sense all through. This is a strange criticism, seeing that Lord Tennyson always used to recite this, his favourite Brownin'* poem, in this manner, tho reciter’s object was obviously to suggest the gallop of the horses- I thought that Mr Borradalo should have easily boon placed first.