COMPETITIONS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 75, 5 May 1914, Page 10

COMPETITIONS.

FURTHER RESULTS. There was a very large attendance at the King's Theatre last night to -listen to the finals of the various competitions held on Saturday and yesterday. The following are the results of the competitions held after our going to press yesterday and of the finals held last night:— RECITATION. Gentlemen. Amateurs. Test piece, "The Ballad of the Clampherdown." Tho recalls were:— Mr I\ A.. Dale (Wellington). Mr P. J. M'Donald (Christchurch). Mr H. M'D. Vincent (Christchurch). Other entrants were:—Messrs John S. Burn (Addington), A. Douglas Aitken (St. Albans), Edward Armstrong (Avonside), Harold "instone (Beckenham), A. B. Gladding (Auckland), Norman Aitken (Wellington), J. B. M'Connel (Dunedin). CLASSICAL DIALOGUE). Ladies or gentlemen. Amateurs. Own selection. The prizes were awarded as follow: — Miss Esther Devereaux (Chch.) and Mr P. A. Dale (Wellington), 84 points . . . . 1 Miss Alice Saunders (Merivale), and Mr Allen B. Young (Chch.), 81 . .' ". . . • 2 Mrs H. E. Duff (Chch.) and Mr F. J. M'Donald (Chch.), 77 3 Other entrants were: —Mr A. Douglas Aitken (St. Albans) and Mrs A. S. Williams (Linwood), Mr Norman Aitken (Wellington) and Mr Kenneth Aitken (Levin). "The dialogue chosen by Mr Dale and Miss Devereaux was "Hamlet and Ophelia,'' and of this performance "the judge said it was a difficult selection, and he realised that the competitors were working under difficulties on the small stage, but a very creditable performance had been given. The soliloquy was well spoken, and the right atmosphere had been created. There were one or two wrong emphases, and Mr Dale should avoid a tendency to exaggeration. Miss Devereaux had a tendency to recite rather than to act. The second place winners played "Rosalind and Orlando," and. a worthy presentation was given, but Miss Saunders was rather too serious and needed more abandon. The third place winners played a scene from "Macbeth." It was a very difficult scene, said the judge, but the performers had managed it well, though they were rather stiff and there was a lack of by-play, and the facial expression was not always convincing. READING AT SIGHT. Lady or Gentleman. The prizes were awarded: — Miss M. Carey-Wallace (Wellington), 83 points 1 Miss H. Alice Searell (Chch.), 80 . . ..2 Miss Emily Hassell (St. Albans), 79 . . t Miss Alice M. Austin (Dunedin), 79 .. t Other entrants were: —Misses Rosa Morris (Christchurch), Doris Fox (Christchurch), Messrs l'\ Armitage (Christchurch), A. D. Aitken (St. Albans), A. B. Gladding (Auckland). The judge said that reading at sight was an admirable test of articulation and enunciation) and many of the competitors had failed in pronunciation, while others were faulty in pausation. The articulation of the winner was'good, and the tone of the voice suited to the passage read, although a trifle monotonous. The performance was a creditable one> although there were one or two slips in pronunciation. The second place winner gave a good reading, correct in emphasis, but faulty in expression. The finals decided last night were as follow: — PIANO SOLO. Second Section. "Prelude in G" (Handel). Miss Lilla Leach (Sydenham), 80 points 1 Miss Nettie Purdie (Kaiapoi), 77 . . .. 2 Miss M. M'Laren (Dunedin), 76 . . .. 3 RECITATION. Girls under 12. Miss Thelroa Aitken (Wellington), 76pls 1 Miss Edna Daly (St. Albans), 74 . . . . 2 Miss May Barrell (Kiccarton), 73 . . .»; 3 BASS SOLO. "A War Song." (Elgar). Mr. .J. H. Cocks (Christchurch), 88 points 1 Mr V. C. Penfold (St. Albans), 81 . . .. 2 Mr M. P. Gregory (Christchurch), 69.. 3 Mr J. Hardy (Christchurch), GO ...... 4 RECITATION. Gentlemen. -"The Ballad of the Clampherdown." Mr F. J. M'Donald (Chch.), 82 points .. 1 Mr P. A. Dale (Wellington), 80....".. 2 Mr H.-M'D. Vincent (Chch.), 76 .. .. 3 DOMINION TEST RECITAL. Gentlemen. "Virginia." Mr P. A. Dale (Wellington), 80 points .. 1 Mr F. J. M'Donald (Christchurch), 78 . . 2 Mr Norman Aitken (Wellington), 76 ..3 SACRED SOLO. Contralto. Amateurs., Own selection. ' ; Mrs Evalina Sharp . (Wellington), 84pts 1 Miss Maud Stringer (St.'Albans), 83 . . 2 Miss Elna Thompson (Eeudalton), 77'.. 3 SOPRANO SQLO. Song in A flat from "Der Freischutz" (Weber). Miss Edith Croxton (Chch.), 86 points .. 1 Miss Monica Davenport (Coalgate), 83.. 2 Miss Daisy Parsons (Christchurch), 80 . . 3 A comedietta entitled "Spring Onions," played by Miss Alice Saunders and Mr A. B. Young, concluded last night's competitions. TO-DAY'S DOINGS. The Competitions, were continued to-day, the results being as follow: — DOMINION RECITATION. Open Class. Gentlemen. Own selection". There were twelve competitors:—Mr Chas. J. Smith (St. Albans), Mr J. B. M'Connell (Dunedin), Mr F. J. M'Donald (Christchurch), Mr P. A. Dale (Wellington), Mr Ed. Armstrong (Avonside), Mr Norman Aitken (Wellington),. Mr H. M'D. Vincent (Christchurch), Mr A. B. Gladding (Auckland), Mr Win. J. Mason (Bromley), Mr J. E. Doolan (Heathcote). The recalls were:— Mr Chas. J. Smith (St. Albans). Mr P. A. Dale (Wellington). Mr A. D. Aitken (St. Albans). PIANO SOLO. "Romance ef the Ball." Over 13 and under 16. First Section. The recalls were:— Master H. L. Jenkins (St. Albans). Miss Daphne Archenhold (Christchurch). Master E. L. Cordery (St. Albans). There were 14 competitors. PIANO SOLO. "Romance of the Ball." Over 13 and under 16. Second Section. The recalls were:— Mister K. Wilkinson (Merivale). Master Win. Tindall (St. Albans). Miss Kitty Murphy (Christchurch). There were 15 competitors. The following finals were decided:— PIANO SOLO. Reading at sight. Under 16.There were nine competitors :• —Miss Christabel Robinson (Christchurch), Master H. L. Jenkins /.St. Albans), Miss Dorothy R. Lye (Linwood), Miss Dorothy Talbot (Papanui), Miss Kitty Murphy (Christchurch), Miss Muriel Maclaren (Dunedin), Miss D. M. Simpson (Sydenham), Miss Marion Walsh (Belfast), Miss C. E. Suckling (Tai Tapu). The result was:— Miss Dorothy Talbot (Papanui), 7(> marks 1 Master H. L. Jenkins (St. Albans), 70.. 2 Miss Christabel Robinson (Chch.) and Miss C. E. Suckling (Tai Tapu), t»l, I equal : . . 3 The judge's remarks were to the effect ■that the piece whs.a little love song by Ethel Niven. It did not present any great difficulties except changes of the hands at certain places. He would impress upon teaeh- ; ers the fact that pupils should be compelled I to read a little every day, being made to I read every note carefully. Reading from ! sight would then soon become a habit. Players should first look at the title of the piece to determine the spirit in which it should he played, and then take, notice of the key signature and the time signature. Many of the competitors had failed to do this. A general observation of the piece should then be taken, and the accidentals and their value noted, for competitors would frequently play an accidental when it first occurred, but they could not follow it through the piece. Then there were certain other marks to he observed which would make all the difference to the rendering of the piece, p's and f's,

arpeggios, etc. His advice to the competitors was that they should 'read every note, and not make a guess at it. RECITATION. New Zealand author. Open class. "The Two Ships" (B. E., Baughan).' There were four competitors:—Miss CareyWallace (Wellington), Miss Alice M. Austin '(Dunedin), Miss Alice Saunders (Merivale), Mr J. B. M'Connell (Dunedin). The judge's decision was:— Miss Alice M. Austin (Dunedin), 79pts 1 Miss Carey-Wallace (Wellington), 76 . . 2 Miss Alice Saunders (Merivale), 75 3 The judge stated that the piece chosen was the selection of a committee, and he had been very pleased to endorse the selection, as it was most suitable. The allegory gave splendid scope for word painting and tone painting. Miss Carey-Wallace's performance had been rather monotonous in delivery, and she had used too many rising inflections of the voice. She had also seemed rather uncertain of the text, and her emphases in some places could have been improved. Miss Austin, the winner, had opened rather slowly, and her words were rather slurred, but on the whole her performance had been very creditable, with good expression. Miss Saunders had opened well, and her delivery throughout had been pleasingly easy and colloquial. She should, however, fit the voice to the thought more. She had used some faulty phrasing, and her emphases were not always correct. Mr M'Connell's delivery had lacked diversity of tone. He did not seem to visualise the scene, and his emphases were not always satisfactory.