SEVENTH DAY.—MONDAY, OCTOBER 16.

Otago Witness, Issue 2692, 18 October 1905, Page 33

SEVENTH DAY.— MONDAY, OCTOBER 16.

The competitions were resumed^ at the Victoria Hall and at His Majesty's Theatre on Monday afternoon, when the prepared reading competition was at length brought to a somewhat tedious conclusion, and two piano solo items were disposed of by the musical judge. In the evening Mr J. A. Park presided, and the theatre contained a very large audience. The programme submitted was in- j teresting and enjoyable, those present having the pleasure of listening to humorous recitations irom ladies and gentlemen, most of these of considerable merit, and adjudication was made as to the ladies, though another section of the gentlemen has still | to be heard. The self -accompanied song competition for ladies unfortunately brought forward only three competitors, for this is always a particularly interesting item, and should be popular, unless it calls into requisition qualifications that too few young ladies possess; but, though numerically few, the competitors made up in the merit of their renderings, their contributions being ail very enjoyable. A pianoforte duet competition was also decided, and the baritone and bass solo competitions were continued, the standard attained by the gentlemen being not, however, very high. Additional results are as follow: — MUSIC. PIANOFORTE SOLO (Amateurs over 15 and under 18 years), "Bridal march" (Greig). Prizes. £1 Is and 10s 6d. Miss Audrey Stock (Mornington) .. .. 1 Miss Brenda Stock (Mornington) „ .. 2 Miss Murie Lone (Mornington) . . . . 3 Also competed: Misses Margaret Milne (Maori Hill), N-enetta Ridley (Dunedin), May Barr (Roslyn), Annie Jeffery (Lawrence), Etta , Hitchon (Kaitangata), and Jessie Wishart (Dunedin). Nine competitors came forward out of 10 entered, and of the seven heard yesterday afternoon five played the piece from memory Mr Towsey, in announcing his decision, said he had fortunately no difficulty in finding the winners. It. was, however, a week since he had heard the first section of the competitors play this ma^ch, and he would have some reference to make to that later on in his report. There couM be no question about it that the interval between one section and another was in this case too long by a great deal from the judge's point of view. If there had "been any difficulty in deciding he would have had to recall all of last week's competitors iv order to hear them again. Miss A. Jefteiy and Miss M. Lorie were both recalled, and i>layed the solo a second time, doubtless to determine which should take third place. PIANOFORTE SOLO (Amateurs tinder 18 years not Laving previously won a first prize at the competitions). "Ruasalka" (B. Tours). Prizes, £1 Is and 10s 6d. Master Arthur R. Gordon (Dunedin) .. 1 Miss Evelyn J Millex (St. Leonards) .. 2 Miss Dorothy Cowie (Caversham) .. .. 3 Also competed: Misses M. Lorie (Morninsjton), May Barr (Roslyn), Ettie Hitchon (Kaitangata), Daisy Carter (Belleknowes), May Olive Bennett (Gore), Jessio Hare (Diinedin), Jessie Wishart (Dttnedin), Sa<3ie Broad (Dunedin), and Annie Jefisry (Lawrence). Mieses Wishart, Broad, and Jeffery were recalled, and played a second time. Mr Towsey, in intimating the decision he had come to, said he had pleasure in announcing that, a boy was the winner, in view of the fact that so many more young girls thought it was the correct thing to learn the piano than did boys. He alluded to the preponderance of young ladies in the musical profession, and said it was gratifying to see boys coming forward. PIANOFORTE DUET (Aniateuis over 18 rears, " From foreign parts, Xo. 6, Hun1 gary " (Moszknowski). Prizes, £2 2s and 10s 6d Miss Millie lies and Ivy Edwards .. .. 1 Miss Marie Pryde and Miss Edith Donald 2 Miss Mabel Thomas and Miss Maud Ridley 3 There wore no other competitors, and Mr Towsey made his award without commenting on the renderings, that of the first prize takeis being undoubtedly particularly meritorious. SONG (Lady Amateurs, without music and accompanied by self). Any selection. Prizes, £1 Is and 10s 6d. Miss Amelia Major (Dunedin 1 Miss Hazel Breniner (Dunedin) 2 Miss Emily J. Stratford (Greymouth) .. 3 There were no other competitors. Miss Major sang "Beloved, sleep," a song that suited her, most artistically andl expressively. Miss Bremner, who possesses a contralto voice of unusual possibilities, with which she should cio much, sang " Rose of ruy life," suffering a

' trifle in comparison with the winner in choice of song and m accompaniment; and Miss Stratfords selection \va<s the Scotch song so much heard of at last year's competitions— namely, " Morag's fairy glen." Mr Towsey gave his decision without comment. Miss T. Sommers, of Cbristchurch, who was entered for this competition, did not come forward. BASS SOLO (Amateurs over 16), "When ! bright eyes glance" (Hedgecock). Piizes, | £2 2s and 10s 6d. [ The second section of this competition was taken, the competitors heard being Messrs B. ' O'Connor (Balclutha), K. E. Hall (Dunedlin), [ Ernest Orchard (Coal Creek Flat), and J. E. Walsh (Dunedm). BAKITON^ SOLO (Amateurs over 16), "King's song" from " Ivanhoe " (Sullivan). Prizes, £2 2s and 10s 6d. The second section of this competition was taken, the competitors heard being Mr "Wilhelrnson (Danedin) and Mr W. J. Dickson (Portobello). ELOCUTION. PKEPARED READING (Open to Amateurs). Selection from Macaulay's " Execution of Moninouth." Prizes, JEI Is and 10s 6d. Mr A. Chapman Smith (Dunedin) .. .. 1 Mr E. Burke (Dunedin) 2 Misses Thyra Sommers (Christchurch), Ina Whitson (Dunedin), Herbert Morton (Kaikorai), and A. Douglas Aitken (Dunedin) were all bracketed equal as third. Also competed: Misses Ethel Young (Dunedin), Lily C Brernner (Dunedin), IsabellaM'Gregor (Caversliam), E. Meadowcroft (Mornington), Mrs G-. W. Beath (Kaikorai), Messrs P. Scott (Dunedin), W. Dempster (Dunedin), £. V. Burnard (Littlebourne), A. C. Toshach (Waikiwi), W. R. Hunter (Dunedin), T. Gallagher (Dunedin), James Gordon (Dunedin), L. Hunt (South Dunedin), J. Hill (Kaikorai), J. Bewley (Dunedin), and W. G. Hannah (Mornington). The hearing of the final section occupied about three hours. Mr Baeyertz, in giving- his decision, said I that, in view of the lateness of the hour, he | would only say by way of comment that a great many of the competitors recited rather than lead the selection. He had bracketed four competitors as equal for third xjlace. HUMOROUS RECITATION (Ladies). Own selection. Prizes, £1 Is and 10s 6d. Mrs Minnie M'Lemian (Invercargill) .. 1 Miss Ina Whitson (Dunedin) 2 Miss G. Helen Gardner (St. Clair) .. 3 The winner of the first prize recited " Pittin' in the Cries," Miss Whitson was heard in " A Job's Comforter," and Miss Gardner in "Aunt Tabitha." Also competed: Miss Mary Liddell (Green Island), Miss Hilda Quick (Ditnedin), Mrs Grace Beath (Kaikorai), Miss P. Williamson (Kaikorai). Miss Flossie Lamer (Caversham), and Mrs J. G. Robb (Dunedin). Two of the competitors chose Scotch selections and two recited the same piece. Mr Baeyertz, in giving his award, said that, as he had already remarked in connection with humorous competitions, it wa3 rather a difficult matter to judge when each competitor recited a different piece. Many of the competitors had suffered in their choice of a selection to recite, and many had recited piaces that were not particularly humorous.' Mrs M'Lennan recited her piece >vith a very keen appreciation of its Imniour. HUMOROUS RECITATION (Gentlemen!. Own selection. Prizes, £1 Is and 10s 6d. The second section of this competition was taken, competitors heard being Messrs W. R. Hunter (" My First Appearance "), Thomas Gallagher (" Dooley on the North Pole '), F. V. Blandford (" M'Brae's System "), and A. V. Burnard ("My First Appearance'"). I In the competition — Recitation (gentlemen under 21 years (" How They Brought the Good Newa from Ghent") — Mr Baeyertz awarding first place on October 9 to Mr j A. C. Smith, is reported as having said : All the boys seemed to have been taught by the same teacher ; all made the same mistakes, and had. exactly the same excellences. He gave first prize to Smith because, though Smith had some wrong inflections and some false emphases, and mispronounced the same words that all the others mispronounced, he had more- variety in tempo, and a, little more modulation than most of them." Mr Baeyertz explains that an inaccuracy occurred here. A. C. Smith was not one of the schoolboys referred to, and did not mispronounce the same words. A. C. Smith is not a schoolboy, hut a young man of parts.