INVERCARGILL COMPETITIONS SOCIETY.

Southland Times, Issue 18810, 1 May 1920, Page 10

INVERCARGILL COMPETITIONS SOCIETY.

To the Editor. Sir, —By your courtesy I would like to enquire if the above Sock-ty is absolutely defunct and dead. All branches of pre-war sports’ societies and kindred associations are making strenuous efforts to resuscitate their former activities. Our local competition festival before the war was on a par with anything in its line in the Dominion, but now we are too slow, and far behind the times. Even the Gore Society can make a hugo success of its annual festival, and the benefits that have accrued are evident in the high standard of musical attainment in that town. It is not necessary to point out all the advantages to be gained by holding our annual festival in August, but some of them are; the experience and education of the younger generation in music, singing and elocution; the education of the general public to a full appreciation of prominent composers and standard authors, I venture to assert that until the Competitions were held throughout the Dominion the average man in the street had “no time for Shikesperc” ; now one often gets the request in some of our back-block townships, for a decent Shakespearean recital. There are many young competitors throughout our district who show promising talent, so I would say to the Society, give those young people an opportunity to show what Southland can produce. I am sure the general public and competitors would give the Society their whole-hearted support. So to the committee 1 would like to say: “Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more.”—l am, etc., G. W. BRAXTON, Invercargill. April 30.