CHRISTCHURCH COMPETITIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17035, 8 May 1923, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH COMPETITIONS.

SECOND DAY. The Christchurch Competitions were continued to-day 'in the Theatre Royal and Choral Hall. The following are the results:— PIANO SOLO. (36 aud under 21.) " Tend re Aveu ” (Schutt.) Recalls. Miss Piri Thompson iAvonside.j Miss Eileen O'Moeghan (Timaru.) * Miss Bessie Pollard (Christchurch. > Miss Madge Nixon (.Christchurch.) Mr A. Lummis (Riccarton.) Also competed: Misses Ruth Fagan (Christchurch), Edna Penney (Christchurch), Thelma. Martin (Oa-maru), Rita Seaton (St Albans.), Vera Davidson (St, Albans). Daphne Reid (Christchurch.) Shakespearean Recitation. (Under 21.) Ov>n Selection. Recalls: Miss Anita Winkel (Dunedin.) .M'iss G. I. Ait ken (Invercargill.) Miss Mavis Halliday (Wellington.) Also competed : Misse* Bertha. Cross (Wellington), Ellen Barnett- (Riccarton), Alma Finnerty (Christchurch:, Juanita Manhire (Spreydon). Doris Oakes (Christchurch), M. Mounsey (Riccarton). Myra Williams (Linwood), Eileen Mitchell (£?preydon), Mavis Ritchie (Merivale), Irene Laskey (8t Martins.) Dominion Recitation. Own Selection. Recalls: W. H. Moses (St Albans.) R. A. Turner (Christchurch.) A. Johnson (St Albans.) Also competed: Stanley Airth (Wellington.) Vocal Solo. Mezzo, Own Selection. Recalls: Miss Mabel Eaglesome (New Brighton.) Mies Amy Lilley (Christchurch.) Miss Constance Harrison (Wanganui.) Also competed: Mieses Sylvia Graham (Linwood), Annie Lucas (St. Albans), Evelyn Hobson (Woolston), Monica O'Connell (Christchurch), Eva Marshall <Oa-maru), Pamela Richmond. (Addington). Olive Brockett (Tanwood), Olive Nightingale (St Albans) and Mrs L. Kay (Beckenham.)

YESTERDAY’S RESULTS.

The following were yesterday’s results: — READING AT SIGHT. Lady or Gentleman. Miss Pryllis Adame (Wellington) 87 Mi9s S. I. Aitken (Invercargill) S 3 point*, equal .... 2 Miss Juanita. Manhire (Spreydon) equal 2 Mr John Voss (Spreydon) 75 points . 4 VIOLIN SOLO. Twelve and under Sixteen. (Own Selection). Harry Unwin (Petone) ‘‘ Meditation,” 8-5 points - - . 1 Jack Partridge (Lyttelton) “ Mazurka.” 82 points . 2 Kevin M'Menamin (Christchurch) “11 T r ova tore.” 81 points . . .3 PIANO SOLO. Under Eighteen. Polonaise ” (MacDowell). Bertha Adkins (Sydenham) 85 points . 1 Mia. Prestidge (Christchurch) 81 points 2 Iris Thomas (Christchurch) 75 poiots . 3 VOCAL SOLO Soprano. Own Selection. Miss Ellie -Jenkins (St Albans) ” Boat Song,” 84 points . . 1 Mies Olga Poulton (Christchurch) " Love “ A Slave,” 77 points 2 Mies Clara Bowen (Fendßlton) “ A'ale,” 71 points 3 VOCAL SOLO. Gentlemen. (New Zealand Composer). Johnson Mayfield (Richmond) “ Serenade,” 92 points . . .1 D. N. 1 Bishop (St Albans) “Sea Gipsy,” 87 points 2 Alex Murray (Wellington) “ Maori Home,” 83 points - . - 3 RECITATION. Ladies or Gentlemen. New Zealand Author. Mies Anita. Winkel (Dunedin) “ Gathering Peaches.” 89 points l . . 1 Miss Juanita Manhire (Spreydon) “Not Understood,” 87 points . . 2 Miss S. I. Aitken (Invercargill) ” Maoriland,” 85 points . . .3 WELSH SONG. Boy or Girl under Eighteen. There were only two competitors in this section and decision was reserved until Wednesday to ascertain whether the number sung by one of them was really a Welsh song. RECITATION. Girls sixteen under eighteen. ” Butterflies.”’ Mavis Halliday (Wellington) 87 points 1 Hazel Shier (Addington': 84 points . 2 Juanita Manhire (Spreydon) S 3 points . 3 RECITATION. Ladies (restricted). ” The Blackbird.” Miss Gladys Tanner IChristchurch) 83 points 1 Miss Valerie Anderson (Linwood) 82 points 2 Miss Nancy White (St Albans) 81 points 3 TO-NIGHT’S CONCERT' This evening, at the Theatre Royal, the recalled competitors in the Piano Duet, Men's Recitation (“The Noblest Work”), Shakespearean Recitation, Contralto Solo. Ladies' Recitation, Violin Solo and Irish Song (Men), will contribute to the entertainment. Another section of the story without words will also be given. A very attractive number should be the mixed quartette competition, in which two quartettes are taking part. IFie timetable for to-morrow is advertised. Admission to the day sessions is 6d and to the evening concerts 3s. 2s and Is, as advertised. The box plan is at The Bristol.

A SHEAF OF NOTES.

The antiquity of competitions was a thought suggested by a remark in the speech made b.v His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. A. Flesher), at. the official opening last night. But while the Mayor had in mind the ancient athletic contests of Greece, the writer was thinking of a less remote time—say when the parents of the- present competitors were children. There were fewer diversions for the young mind then and time was sptent more in the pursuit of a type of learning unpalatable to the present generation, and endeavour* towards the attainment of excellence in arts now, for the most part, ignored. In lookiug through newspaper files of fifty years ago it will be seen that in the winter months no such thing as a dance is referred to, but frequently paragraphs will be seen stating that a reading competition for the young folk was held at various institutes in Christchurch, Lyttelton. Kaiapoi and other places. These were realty the forerunners of the present competitions. The spirit was always there, and the only thing needed was some efficient executive It is undeniably true, that the competitions ha-ve a beneficial effect on both the young and the older, for they encourage praotice at music and elocution and that is the principal thing. It doee not. matter much whether a competitor ia a prize-winner or no. because the first great good is done when he or she appreciates that certain arts are worthy of study. No study that is gone into energetically can fail to have a good influence upon the student, even though he may not attain to much success in it. Tt is the practice and exercise of certain powers that are the most satisfying thing, a.nd if competitors realise this, there should he none discontented at the festival's end. Of course it is > a very satisfying thing to win a prize, hut prize-winning is only an incidental part of the competitions. In going back over a number of years proof will he found of the good work that the Christchurch Competitions Society has done. Many who were competitors in those years have since gone away from the country and done great things in their different arts in other lands, and maybe, had it not been for the Christchurch competitions they would not h*ve got their first, encouragement.

Another remark made by the Mayor ic stimulating for thought. He lamented the fact that the elocution of many people wa« faulty, and he thought the Competitions Society was doing good work in eradicating this fault from certain of the young people. There is undoubtedly a tendency to slur vowels and neglect terminals. The whole cause of the trouble is that peopAc vjHll not open their mouths or breathe correctly. Tt is a- really simple matter to remedy and in two or three lessons the principles of correct breathing and enunciation can be taught. This is most certainly a thing that should be taught in every school in the country. Correct breathing is worth more to a person than highly developed muscle, because by it. lungs, one of the most vulnerable portions of the body, are strengthened. The standard in some of the classes heard yesterday was good, but the adult singing was not nearly as strong as it might have been. ■Blackbird,” the restricted recitation for ladies, was well done on the whole, but it was a tricky piece with a- rhythm that required keepng. Miss Gladys Tanner was not quite natural, but she kept close to the rhythm, and hei - phrasing was good. Miss Valerie Anderson has the best enunciation of tho three recalled, hut her phrasing broke down in several places. Miss Nancy White was somewhat laboured in her ~work, but there was a fine quality in some passages of hers.

The girl’s recitation, * Butterflies," was a, plaints? thiug with the suggestion reason for most of the competitors to make it a blacker tragedy than “ Macbeth." It was not intended for a histrionic test, and a light voice could have carried it through successfully. Miss Mavis Halliday, the winner, seemed to appreciate this more than the others did. She refrained from making the final stanza a “ purple patch." Her one unpleasant fault was to linger too long on final syllables. Miss Juanita Manhire. bad a good understanding of the piece, but she acted too much, there was too much gesture. The voice should really be sufficient. Miss Hazel Shier had a daintier appreciation of the poem than most of the others did, and her rendering would have been excellent had she been a little quieter in the final lines.

The recitation (N.Z. author) was a satisfactory class, and the general work right through it was good. Miss Anita Winkel chose •’ Gathering Peaches.” >he gave an artistic rendering, and created a fine atmosphere. She was restrained, and lived the poem before the audience. Miss Man. hire did ” Not Understood ” in a satisfying way. She was more natural than in her previous number, and the result was accordingly more pleasing. Miss S. I. Aitken cilosc ‘ Maoriland,” a work well suited to Tier. Miss Aitken is an excellent elocutionist in many respects. She has a fine breath control and enunciation. Her principal fault is an unnatural pedantry. The men s vocal solo (N.Z. composer) was not a brilliant class, and it is to be hoped that some more men come to light during the festival. Mr Johnson Mayfield was good in “ Indian Serenade.” but he sang too intensely. There was notenough variety in his tone. Of course the song is a passionate one, but its fire has to be worked up during the singing, not right from the start. Mr D. N. Bishop has a light voice, and his ” Sea Gipsy ” was pleasing. Mr Alex Murray could not manage, the high notes of " Home, Little Maori Home.” The refrain too. was weak. The soprano (own selection) was not so strong a class as could be expected. Miss Jenkins, the winner, was quiet and sweet in her singing of “ Italian Boat Song,” but that was all. Miss Poulton had the better manner and enunciation, but there was a hardness in some of her tones. The piano solo (under 18i was "Polonaise” < MacDowjell. > It wae a difficult piece, rhapsodic in quality, and demanding a passionate interpretation. However, all the competitors did very well with it considering its dfficulty. The violin solo (under 16. own selection), was also a satisfactory section, and all the performers deserve commendation, especially the little man who played “11 Trovatorp.” He. was the favourite with the audience. Young Master Partridge, ” Mazurka-,” should grow up into a fine violinist. The winner. Master Unwin, who played the ‘‘lntermezzo” from “Cavalleria Rnsticann." made the best choice.