THE COMPETITIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18048, 23 September 1920, Page 4

THE COMPETITIONS.

The inauguration by tho Dunediu Coin- J petitions' Society of its nineteenth annual festival is <ui event of general local interest, and one of great importance to at least a section of the community. The Competitions' Society is to bo congratulated upon tho programme which it has been able to put forward this year, and also upon tho circumstances under which this will be carried through. The number of" entries at these competitions scarcely con stitutes a test of the enlightenment of* the community in respect to music, elocution, and kindred arts, but it may be considered an indication of the interest taken in these matters. And the encouragement of interest means the encouragement of the attainment of knowlodge and proficiency. The educational value of a Competitions Society is therefore far from" negligible. As for the competitors, the benefit accruing to them consists less in the prizes to be won than in the effort which it is nocossary for them to make to secure the same. In that they encourage study making for tho development of talent the Competitions merit support, and serve a very practical purpose. With the advent of another annual Festival tlieie are those who will be prompted to recall with pleasurable feelings the firsu essay of the Dunedin Competitions' Society, its first plunge into what were then considered somewhat hazardous waters. The results wero anticipated with some anxiety—for nineteen years ago the public. of New Zealand was quite uneducated respecting Competition Festivals— but gave gratifying promise for the future, and the example set by the Dunedin Society was ere lonofollowed in various other parts of the dominion. The growth of the movement may be taken as evidence of the extent to which it catered for the popular taste, and met a very general educational want, ill a looking back to the early festivals of tho Dunedin Society there is reminder of many happy incidents associated with those days of immaturity. The Society's task, among ' others, has been to raise tho standard of tho competitive performances. In this direction there has been a considerable advancement which, while all to the benefit of tho competitors, has perhaps not been altogether gratifying to those who care less for the serious than for the amusing side of these public competitions. Certainly we have some memories of the very early local competitions which will remain an unfading joy. The rapture of the impression left by the courageous spontaneity of the untrained efforts of some of the competitors of those days is not to bo recaptured at present-day Festivals. But the competitions are not intended to furnish food for laughter, but for edification. It is tho standard that counts.