SCHOLARSHIP DAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11304, 1 September 1922, Page 6

SCHOLARSHIP DAY

COMPETITIONS CONTINUED BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE BS AIR GEORGE AIACKAY. THE DETAILED LIST. Yesterdav was a- day of championships at the annual festival of the Wellington Competitions Society. The chief piano solo which has produced some talent- over which Air A. W. Juncker, the musical judge, grew enthusiastic, was decided and was won bv Mr George Alackay, of Wellington, with whom the judge confessed he could find no fault. The entries in this class have not been particularly numerous, but have revealed a high standard, much higher perhaps than in any other event, musical or elocutionary. The piano solo was taken in two sections. For the first of these an etude in the form of a waltz by the French latter-day composer, Saint Saens, was the “set piece,” while in . the second class the competitors were allowed to choose their own pieces. Last evening saw two very creditable renderings of Liszt’s “Liebestraume” and the Chopin ballade in F Ala j or, besides the original set piece. The winner receives a gold watch, valued at £lolos, and presented by F. J. Pinny, Ltd. This item lasted tor three-quarters of an hour last evening. Another important' musical item which was determined in the afternoon, was the Wellington Competitions Society’s men’s vocal championship. The .first section oonsisted of D’Hardelot’s “Mi-gnon” -for tenors and Hermann Lohr’s fine song “In the Heather, My Lads,” for baritone and bass. The second section of this important scholarship, which entitles ihe winner to free tuition from any teacher up to £lO 10s, will be heard on Monday morning, when competitors must render an operatic selection. The three who aggregate the greatest number of points will be recalled for Monday evening, when the event will he decided finally. . The society’s Veoitation scholarship, which is of equal importance, passed its second stage, a twenty-four hours’ study test, m which the chosen piece was. handed to competitors twenty-four hours prior to the scheduled time of the item, The piece chosen was a difficult one, and the contestants did very well. The recalls, which appear below, will be heard at the Town Hall this evening. Amongst other important classes were the operatio solo for soprano or mezzo, and the Shakespearean recitation, open to either Bex. which carries the gold medal presented by Mr J. F. Montague, and for which the set piece was “Bassanio’s Choice of the Caskets,” from “The Merchant of Venice.” Various children’s events filled uo the programme, a pleasant feature of the evening performance being the dancing of two dainty ballets, an “Earlv Victorian” interpretation and a Roval.” The children’s story without words also made its debut, a* clever little performance in suggested mimicry being given by Kathleen Philpott and Stella Chapman (“The Enchanted Forest”).

RESULTS IN DETAIL .. ELOCUTIONARY SECTION. Results in detail are set forth below:— READING AT SIGHT. . Boys under 16. Alas ter Wm. dark (Napier), 78 points 1 Master P. Barxadough (Hataitai), 76 points 2 Master B. Goodlandi (Christchurch), 74 points 3 RECITATION. OOAIPETmONS SOCIETY’S SCHOLARSHIP. Recalls—Aliases W. L. W. Halliday (Hataitai), ' Phyllis Adams (Wellington), Madge Shearer (Lower Hutt), Gladys Gammon (Marten). HUMOROUS RECITATION. Girls. 12 and under 16. Own Seleotion. Recalls—Misses Mavis Ritchie, Phyllis McMillan, Betty Menard.. HUMOROUS RECITATION. Boys. In character. Over 12 and under 16. Master Leonard Russell (Rona Bay). ‘ ‘Squeers. Opens tSchool," 75 pts. - 2 Alaster William Clarke (Napier), 73 points * Master Arthur Grant (Kilbirnie), 73 points * *Tied for third place. In this doss, said the judge, the standard had been low, and, therefore, he would not award a first prize. There had not been what he would call a really humorous item in the whole class. RECITAL WITH MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT. Boy or girl under 16. Own selection. Master B. Godland (Christchurch), “Christmas Bells,” 89 points ... 1 Miss Ngaire Phipson (Wellington), “Out at Moris”’ 85 points 2 Miss Joyce. Julian (Wellington), “Playmates,” 83 points 3 Highly commended —Misses Alice Chapman, Aitken, Sinclair Breen, and Nonie Wright. The winner had played his own accompaniment, arid done it very well. He had given a very creditable performance. Miss Phipson had given a very effective piece, with music that was well in keeping, and Miss Julian had nice expression, the music being well subdued and fitting, hut required more pathos. SHAKESPEAREAN RECITATION. Lady or gentleman. Open class.. “Bassanio’s Choice of the Caskets” (“Merchant of Venice”). Miss Madge Shearer (Lower Hutt), 91 points , 1 Miss Mary Cooley (Wellington), 90 points 2 Miss Gladys Whitehouse (Wellington), 86 points 3 Alias Shearer had given a very intelligent reading of the scene, her actions being suitable and graceful, and her voice nicely modulated. Her pausation was effective, and her temperament and technique good; altogether a very creditable performance. Miss Cooley’s work had been good also. She jqssessed jhe dramatio instinct, and ler actions an<J pausation were pleasing and effective, but needed more fervency and tone colour, and her voice, orice or twice, had been a little harsh. A little emphasis would have improved her reading. Miss Whitehouse needed more cnange and modulation in her voice, and in the even-

ing had missed four lines. There was little to choose between the first two young ladles. CHIEF PIANO SOLO. First prize, gold watch, valued at £lO 10s, presented by F. J. Pinny, Ltd. Mr George Mackay (Wellington), 187 points 1 Miss Eileen Woodfield (Palmerston North), 185 points 2 Mins Ivy Middlemiss (Levin), 183 points 3 Highly commended —Misses Mary Mcßae and Thelma. Short. The judge, Mr Juncker, remarked on the extreme technical difficulty of the pieces which were attacked and conquered by the performers. The whole of the piano pieces played that evening had been music of the highest class, and between the three leading players there jhad been little to choose. Mr Mackay had a fine, bold touch, and the melody of the set piece (SaintSaens’s “Etude en Forme de Valse”) was well brought out. He produced great tone, and, on occasion, was capable of a fine lightness of touch. His runs and scale passages were all very neatly and cleanly executed, and he had made a bold attack upon a very difficult work. It was very hard, indeed, to find much fault with his playing. The second-place winner had played in a good, rapid tempo, and her downward rune and sixths were very neat, but she had been a little mixed at times. Her chromatic passages and octaves were all good, and she had a capital touch. The thirdplaced competitor had excelled in her cadenzas and arpeggios, and had brought out the melody well. VIOLIN SOLO. . Under 12. Own selection. Master Edward Cremet (Wellington), “Mazurka” (Hill), 69 pts. 1 Master Stanley Richard (Hataitai), "Tarantella” (DrdTa), 62 points 2 .One lad had played fairly well, but the other, said the judge, had been very much out of tune. SONG IN CHARACTER. Boy or Girl. 12 and under 16. . Own Selection. Miss Myra Pallard (Christchurch), “Waiata Pol,” 9o points 1 Miss Effie Bricse (Kilbimie), “Fairy Bells,” 93 points . 2 Miss Ngaire Phipeon (Wellington), "My Crinoline,” 92 points 3 Highly commended—Misses Thelma Aitken,' Sinclair Breen, and Ruby Fisher. The winner had a fairly good voice, though it was not very powerful, and had given a very good impersonation of a Maori. Miss Brice had been dressed beautifully and sang nioely, and Miss Phipson sang in good style besides dressing well. OPERATIC SOLO. • Soprano or Mezzo. Own Selection. Open Class. Miss Maud Elderton (Otaki), “L’Enfant Prodique,” 96 points 1 Miss Lilian Hanham (Christchurch), "Cavatina” . (“Trovatore”), 95 points 2 Miss Edna, Udy (Greytown), “One Fine Day,” 94 points 3 Miss Elspefch Denholm (Oamaru), "One Fine Day,” 93 points 4 The winner was a most pleasant soprano, very dramatic, and her recitative was very good. She had given a refreshing rendering of a very difficult song. Her slight coarseness on a high G had' been the only blemish upon a very fine performance.. Miss Hanham was a fine and pleasant soprano, her voice being inclined to coarseness in the middle. She made her high runs well, and had a good fiatural shake in her voice. Her cadenzas had not been as good as they might have been, and she had become confused at one stage. Miss Udy was a beautiful soprano, and her enunciation and facial expression were good. Mibb. Denholm’s fine voice was well produced, and-she had sung in a very creditable manner.