ELTHAM COMPETITIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 12

ELTHAM COMPETITIONS

SUCCESSFUL OPENING DAY

SOME EXCELLENT TALENT SHOWN.

Perfect weather conditions helped to swell the large attendance at the opening of the second annual competitions in Eltham yesterday. Owing to the absence through illness of the Mayor, Air. I. J. Bridger, the official opening ceremony was abandoned and competition in the various sections was proceeded with.

An energetic committee had for some time been working assiduously, and through its efforts the festival promises to be.a success. Associated with Dr. D. N. Saunders as president are Messrs I. J. Bridger and R. E. Thomas (viceMr. A, A. Stewart (treasurer), Mr. W. J. A. Farrell (secretary), Mr. F. L. Egarr (assistant secretary), and the following members of the committee: Mesdames 11. 11. Marchant and R. L. Garden, Misses Wilson and Kelly and Messrs F. Silver, A. Hargreaves. H. H. Marchant. L. A. Percival, C. V. Smith and A. H. Turner.

In the vocal and instrumental music classes Mr. Ernest Jenner, A.R.A.M., Lecturer in Alusic, Wellington Training College, is adjudicator. Miss Blackie, physical instructress to the Taranaki Education Board, is adjudicator in the dancing and drill sections, while for the children’s elocution classes the position is filled by Mr. AV. J. A. Farnell, headmaster of the Manga toki public school

The attendance last evening was excellent and all the competitors received a very attentive hearing. Dealing with' the vocal and instrumental items, the judge remarked that the situation was very promising, especially in view of the fact that the festival was only the second held. A steady improvement had been shown all round and with an improved standard in the choice of music, the competitions would have the effect of making the district an extremely musical one. Much of this improvement had been made in the schools by teaching the children to appreciate purity of tone and a sense of time. A noticeable feature from the point of view of the audience was the excellent standard of judging, upon which much favourable comment was passed. The results of. the afternoon and evening sessions are: — GRADE A, PIANOFORTE SOLO. Test piece, “Paderewski's Minuet in C” (Thirteen entries). Miss T. Jones I Miss R. Alii is 2 Miss M. Power 3 In making his award the judge stressed the necessity for regarding the composition as a unity and not in so many disjointed parts. In an interesting address he pointed out the main features required in solo playing. MUSICAL DRILL. (Three entries.) Mangatoki .School Girls I Eltham School Boys 2 The judge commented upon the excellence of the performance of the winning team. FOLK DANCING. Part One. (Five entries.) Recalls. —Eltham Convent No. I and No. 2; Mangatoki School No. 1 and Te Roti School No. 1. SWEDISH DRILL. Girls. (Three entries.) Eltham Public School 1 Manaia Public School 2 ■ GRADE A, PIANOFORTE SOLO. Sight Reading. Miss M. Mackie (42) 1 Miss R. Mills (36) 2 Miss T. Jones (34) . 3 CHAMPIONSHIP A GRADE PIANOFORTE. Miss T. Jones (125) 1 Miss R. Mills (116) 2 Miss M. Mackie (112) 3 The judge pointed out that most, of the competitors should develop a sense of key and should endeavour to get an interpretation even though they were sight-reading. They should train the eye to see the beats’ positions in the copy. SWEDISH DRILL. Boys (Three Entries), Manaia Public School I This was the only award. UNISON CHOIRS. (a) Test piece, “Welcome Sweet Springtime,” (Rubenstein); (b) own selection. (Four entries.) Alanaia Public .School, 88 marks .... I Eltham Public School, 69 2 .SACRED SOLO. Own .Selection (Seven Entries.) Miss Massey, 85 marks 1 Miss Cocker, 82 marks 2 SIGHT READING OF ACCOMPANIMENT. (Six Entries.) Miss M. Mackie, 79 marks 2 Miss T. Jones, 69 marks 2 SOLO. Own Accompaniment, Own Selection. Mrs, Symmans was the only entry and was awarded first place. TRADITIONAL SONG. Men, Own Selection (Three Entries). Mr. F. Silver, 73 marks i This was the only award. BALLAD. " ; Own Selection (Nine Entries.)’ Mrs. McCullough, 78 marks 1 Miss Massey, 77 marks ~. xt** 2

Mrs. Symmans and Miss O’Dea, 76 marks, equal 3 DUET. Own Selection (Two Entries.) Mrs. Marchant and Mrs. Symmans, 60 1 This was the only award. BRASS QUARTETTE. Own Selection (Three Entries). Eltham No. 1, 76 marks 1 This was the only award. Th© folk dancing in class 14 has not been completed. The competitions Wiii be continued this afternoon and evening. RURAL CREDITS. ASSOCIATION FOR STRATFORD. At a meeting of the Rural Intermediate Credit Board, held at Wellington on July 12 an application was received for the consent of the board to the registration of the Stratford Co-operative Rural Intermediate Credit Association. The commissioner stated that a feature of; the membership of the association was the number of leading farmers who ■will not require loans but by joining the association have shown practically their desire to have an association formed in the district. The district supervisor, Hawera, is a statutory director of the association, and the provisional directors are Messrs. IL J. Shrimpton, of Lowgarth, A. Davis and W. J. Thurston, both, of Stratford, and E. A. Adlam, of Waipuku. Mr. A. Davis is well known as president of the Stratford A. and P. Association, and the other provisional directors are all on the directorates of dairy companies in the district. The consent of the board was given to the registration of the association,