THE COMPETITIONS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11295, 22 August 1922, Page 4

THE COMPETITIONS

What are the competitions? The question does not strike one as necessary. But the frequency with which it is asked makes it seem so. Yet there are a great many people who have very definite views about the answer. As a matter of fact, 2300 entries prove that, and there must be at least 20,000 persons vividly interested as friends and relations of the entrants. There are, therefore, considerably over 20,000 people who can answer the question definitely without a moment’s hesitation. They know that “the competitions’’ are an annual gathering of men and_ women, boys and girls, to compete publicly for prizes in singing, instrumental playing, making speeches, reciting things of literature grave and gay, of high poetry of humour, of good prose, for dancing, drawing, carving, artistic work generally. They know that these things mean help to education, culture, equipment for life’s duty, and, incidentally, amusement and entertainment. Their number has been increasing for years, and is the highest in New Zealand. It may be added, of course, that the number of those who show the smallness of their interest in “the competitions’’ by asking the above question (of pretended ignorance) is proportionately diminishing as time goes on. Another sign of these changes is the large number of persons who donate to the prize fund. Wellington leads New Zealand in these “competitions,” for the conduct of which most careful preparation is made and considerable care taken to secure the services of competent judges to hear and see the competitors and award the prizes. The ambition is to improve tho taste of the- people and increase their respect for efficiency. High standards secure the first object, and the effort to attain these enforces the valuable adage which insists that whatever is worth doing is worth doing well. To speak well, to move well, to sing well, to mark well the music of poetry, to recognise the majesty of great prose, to stimulate ideas, and give facility to their expression—these are the fruits of the competitions. And they bring amusement and pleasure in their train. While improving the

general efficiency of work, the competitions give to the intellectual side’ of play much-needed encouragement. By adding to the individual resources they give pleasure to youth and entertainment to middle life, and they prepare comfortable pastime for age. They improve everything they touch. For instance, community singing, the latest addition to rational, popular amusement, cannot but be greatly benefited by the competitions. The standards will be kept up, and the skill from competitive effort will give the brightness of harmonious part-work to the monotony of unison' singing. In short, the competitions deserve the popularity they have long enjoyed, which, we hope, they will see increased from the opening of the annual meeting to-day.