Centenary Aria Contest

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19953, 10 November 1934, Page 12

Centenary Aria Contest

SUCCESS OF NEW ZEALANDERS

From an island table set in the heart of closely-packed stalls, Madame Florence Austral and Mr Alfred Hill, co-adjudicators, heard and selected Victoria’s Centenary Voice from among eight singers, who contributed to an event unique in Melbourne musical history (states the ‘Sun-News-Pictorial’ Sydney).

This was the final at the Melbourne Town Hall of the “Sun” Centenary Opera Aria Contest, in which six young women and two men, selected from the competitions held in Ballarat some weeks ago, sang for the special Centenary prizes, totalling 230 guineas, given by the “Sun.” The first prize was 120 guineas. Filling the hall, even to the choir stalls looking down upon the stage, the audience of 2600 was swept with crashing applause following each of the 16 arias which made up the three-hours’ programme. New Zealand First The greatest burst of enthusiasm following long minutes of suspense, came when Mr Hill announced the result of the contest as follows:—Denis Dowling (N.Z.), 175 pts., 1; Miss Hinemoa Rosieur (East Melbourne), 152 pts. 2; Alan Coad (S.A.), 151 pts. 3. While the judges of the “Sun” Aria Contest were considering their decision at the Town Hall, Miss Maisie Ramsay, who won the “Sun” Aria Contest in Bendigo in 1926, and Miss Ailsa McKenzie, last year’s winner at Geelong, sang for the audience. Miss Ramsay sang the Mad Scene from Lucia di Lammermoor and Miss McKenzie Adieu Forets (Jeanne d’Are). After the supper at which the competitors and others who assisted in the contest, with a number of friends, were entertained by the directorate of the “Sun” and the “Herald,” the chairman of the “Herald” and directors of “Weekly Times” Ltd. (Mr Theodore Finck) presented their prizes to all the singers. “Art is the product of work,” said Mr Fink said, “and I am quite satisfied that music is probably the most

inclusive of all the arts, without which life does not seem happy. Music has got to go on.” “It is a gorgeous voice,” said Mr Hill of Mr Dowling’s singing. “We have got something that is going to advertise Australia. Lots of people will tell after listening to him that we will hear more of him. lam telling you that you will hear of him soon. He is

going to bring great honour to Australia.” Views of the Critics Honourable mention was given Miss Corrie Allan, Ballarat (115 pts.), Miss Irene Bennett, Burnie, Tasmania (113 pts.). Miss Nance Osbourne, Moonee Ponds (109 pts.), Miss Alva Myers, Dunedin, N.Z. (109 pts.), and Miss Enid Crocker, Ballarat (93 pts.). The “Sun’s” musical critic, Mr Harold Waters, said of the winner: The New Zealander, Dennis Dowling, submitted “Eri tu,” from “Un Ballo in Maschera,” in the first place, his mellow, light baritone making a slight nervous deviation from pitch in the introductory measures, but following this up with true, beautiful cantabile and pathetic elements in the main melady. This boy made a magnificently effective climax, and the dynamics of his voice were superlatively beautiful all through. A moderate amount of gesture aided his expression. The “Prologue” to “Pagliacci” afforded an even more prominent light on Denis Dowling’s extensive range and grand possibilities as a baritone of opera.

In some respects the most powerful of the voices heard in the whole of the contest, that of Alva Myers, the New Zealand soprano, rang with splendid limpidity throughout the big hall in

“Ye Powers That Dwell Below,” from Gluck’s “Alceste,” and “Elizabeth’s Prayer,” from “Tannhauser.” In both the cantabile measures were very beautifully sustained, and the emotional appeal in Gluck’s classic was also well conveyed. Miss Myers, in fact, improved on her Ballarat interpretation, having rectified a fault to which her attention had been directed.