CHOIR COMPETITIONS.

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1419, 23 October 1923, Page 5

CHOIR COMPETITIONS.

FESTIVAL AT HAMILTON. Annually a festival of music restricted to members of church choirs is held at Hamilton, and the fore gathering of members of several choirs from all parts of the South Auckland district, and incidentally the experience gained in practising beforehand and in the actual contest, is calculated to do much to maintain interest in the promotion of choir singing. Yesterday the competitions were again held, and Te Awamutu Methodist Choir competed, and though unsuccessful in attaining premier honours they put up a very creditable performance, for those choirs attaining a greater number ,of marks were from churches in towns with a very much bigger population. In the test anthem. "Lift up Your Heads," restricted to A grade choirs, St. Paul's, Hamilton, won with 105 points. Thames being second with 103, and Te Awamutu with 89. In the same grade Te Aroha won the male choir contest, with the set piece "Perfect Day," the score being 96. Thames was ag;iin second with 95, and Te Awamutu third with 93, and Hamilton fourth with 92. The performance of the Te Awamutu choir is considered exceedingly good, when the fact that the copy of the piece was only in the hands of the local competitors for a week, as against a considerably 'longer time with the other competitors, is realised. The judge complimented the Te Awamutu choir ,on being the only one to finish the piece true to pitch. The hymn, "Sovereignty," was also a test piece, and in this competition St. Paul's, Hamilton, won with 101 points, 'Thames being second with only one point less, while Te Awamutu finished third with 90 points. Only two choirs competed in the B grade, Te Aroha and Te Kuiti, and the former won the hymn with 101 to Te Kuiti's 86, and the anthem with 96 to Te Kuiti's 91.