TALENT OF HIGH ORDER

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11303, 31 August 1922, Page 6

TALENT OF HIGH ORDER

AT THE COMPETITIONS SPLENDID MUSICAL AND ELOCUTIONARY PERFORMANCES'. SCHOLARSHIP CONTESTS. More musical and elocutionary talent of a high order was revealed during yesterday’s session of the annual competitions festival, now in progress at the Town Hall. The principal event of the day was the second eliminating round and the final selection in the piano solo for the Bristol Piano Company’s Scholarship, open to competitors between tbe ages of fifteen and eighteen. The event was conducted in two sections, each performer being obliged to appear twice. Tho test selections were Rubinstein’s “Barcarolle” in G Major and Mendelssohn’s “Scherzo” in E Minor (Op. 16, No. 2). The first section was disposed of on Friday, August 25th, and the second (own selection) took place yesterday morning, the competitors recalled for tno final being Master Raymond Hill (Wellington), Master R. Sneddon (Hataitai), and Master F. Mackenzie (Kelburn). The winner was Master R. Sneddon. Another important event was tho first section in the Wellington Competitionc Society’s recitation scholarship, in which nineteen competitors appeared. The second section will be heard to-day, when the twenty-four hours' study test, selected by the committee, held under seal, and handed to each competitor twenty-four hours previous to the scheduled time of the item, will take place

DETAILED RESULTS

The results of the day’s events aro as follow: BRISTOL PIANO COMPANY’S SCHOLARSHIP. Master R. Sneddon (Hataitai), 283 points i Master F. Mackenzie (Kelburn)j 277 points 3 Master Raymond Hill (Hataitai), 1 268 points 3 Very highly commended—Miss Vera Boeeley (Wellington). Highly commended—Miss Mavis Dillon (Wellington). Commenting on the event, Mr A. W. Juncker, the judge, said that tho tests selected were of the highest grade, requiring a good pianist to do them justice. All were works of extreme diffiand he congratulated all the competitors cn their performances. There was so little between them that he had had a strenuous job in separating the winners: The winner was a very neat executant, and Sis arpeggios were specially good. He showed much pianistio ability, and his performance was altogether a very fine one. The second prize-winner in the Liszt Rhapsody (own selection) kept good tempo, and his tremolo accompaniment was very good, while he worked up a grand climax. The third prize-winner pedalled and fingered well, and made a very good performance of the scherzo. He played with feeling, and showed no particular faults. The points for Barcarolle, Scherzo, and own selection piece respectively in each case were:—, Master Sneddon, 92, 94, and 97; Master Mackenzie, 86, 93, and 98; and Master Hill, 87, 91, and 90. OPERATIC SOLO. Contralto. Own selection. Mrs T. Watson (Gisborne), “Softly Awakes My Heart,” 90 points 1 Miss Mollie Fenton (Wellington), “Laschia Ch’io Pianza,” 88 pts. 2 Miss Phyllis Gribbin (Auckland), “Sombre Woods,” 87 points ... 3 The winner, said the judge, had a good serviceable voice, and sang with feeling. Miss Fenton clipped her notes. Her pronunciation was good, and she had evidently taken Jensons in Italian. Miss Gribbin’s enunciation was fair, and she finished well. ENGLISH SONG. Gentlemen. Own selection. Mr C. C. Moss (Wellington), “Arrow and Song,” 91 points I Mr A. Murray (Wellington), “The Yeomen of England,” 88 points 2 Mr A. Macdonald (New Plymouth), “Down Among the Dead Men,” 87 points 3 The winner had a full voice, produced it well, and gave a charming rendering. Mr Murray had a wellproduced voice, but be clipped his notes. Mr Macdonald’s voice was of fair quality, and he sang with great enthusiasm. VOCAL SOLO. Without music, and accompanied by self. Own selection. Miss Dorothy Naumann (Christchurch), “Morning,” 90 points 1 Mrs Lilian Quinn (Auckland), “Blackbird’s Song,” 85 points... 2 Mr E. F, Harrison (Wellington), “I Hear a Thrush ap Eve,” 75 points 3 Mr Juncker remarked that the winner had evidently devoted much study to the piano. She also rendered the accompaniment very well. Miss Quinn was inclined to sing sharp, and Mr Harrison played better than he sang. ELOCUTION SECTION. READING AT SIGHT. Gentlemen. Mr W. H. Knox (Wellington), 87 points j Mr Barton Ginger (Wellington)', 85 points L g Mr 13. C. Smythe (Wellington), 83 points ...,. 3 RECITATION. Boys under 12, “It blatters Much.” Open to those who have not won a first or second prize at this or similar competitions. Master P. Barraclough (Hataitai), 78 points i Master P. Phillips points 2 Master D. Turnbull (Hataitai), 76 points 3 RECITATION. Girls, 12 to 14. “Homeless.’’ Mies Effie Brice (Kilbirnie), 85 pts, 1 Miss Sinclair Breen (Wellington), 84 points 2 Misa Kathleen Philpott (Christchurch), 83 points 3 Highly commended —Miss Myra Pollard (Christchurch), Miss Joyce Staff (Christchurch), Miss Iris Bunny (Wellington), and Mif® Jessie Dunnett (Wellington). JUNIOR TEST RECITAL. Girls under 12. (Seotion A.) Miss Stella Chapman church), 86 points l Miss Q. McLean (Wellington), S 4 points 2 Miss H. Bowcook (Wellington) 3 Highly commended—Misses A. Chap man (Ohristc’lnirdi), K. Chappie (Wellington), E. Cross (Lower liutt),' N.

■•Bright (Auckland), and J. Maunder y Ketone). Girls 12 to 14. (Section B.) Miss Joyce Staff (Christchurch), 85 points 1 Miss E. Brice (Ivilbirnie), 83 points 2 Miss K. Philpott (Christchurch), , 80 points 3 Highly commended —Mies E. Purdie (Brooklyn). RECITATION IN CHARACTER. Not Humourous. Girls, 12 and under 16. Own Selection. Miss N. Phipson (Wellington), 92 points 1 Miss J. Staff (Christchurch), 87 points 2 Miss M. Ritchie (Christchurch), 85 points 3 STORY WITHOUT WORDS. Mr Barton Ginger, “Sewing on a Button,” 87 points 1 Miss Gwen Shepherd and Mr Wynn Watkins, “At the Photographer’s,” 85 points 2 Miss Mavis Halliday and Mr Stanley Airth, “In a Railway Tram,” 83 points 3 RECITATION IN CHARACTER. Humorous. Boys, 12 and under 16. Own Selection. Recalls.—Master W. Clark (Napier), “Johnny, Me and You”; Master Leonard Ilussoll _ (Ron a Bay), “Squeers Opens School”; and Master Arthur Grant (Kilbirnie), “The Porter’s Bank Holiday.” Final this evening. RECITAL WITH MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT. Ladies. Humorous. Own SKlectio. Miss P. Adams (Wellington), “Having It T>ut,” 90 points I Miss I. Middlemiss (Levin), “Next Week,” 86 points 2 Miss M. Shearer (Lower Hutt), “The Littlo Tan Shoes,” 85 points 3 DANCING SECTION. CLOG DANCE” (under 12). Misa Billy Murphy (Wellington), 53 points j Miss Gladys Smythe (Wellington), and Miss Zelma Carroll (Wellington), 52 points, equal 2 Highly commended—Misses K. Zander (Wellington), I. Morse (Wellington) and E. Wright (Wellington). SKIPPING DANCE. 12 and under 16. Miras Joyce Julian (Wellington), 95 points i Miss P. McMillan (Wellingtonjj 82 points 2 Mis 3 D. Potter (Wellington), 81 points g The judge specially commended the performance of the winner.