CONTINUOUS PIANO-PLAYING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 919, 12 September 1910, Page 8

CONTINUOUS PIANO-PLAYING.

MR. STIRTON:CREATES^WORLD'S •:'.',:.v;"../',,;■• ; RECORD;./;/;.;-..;' '}],{: -After ■'having stuck: to 'nis-ta-stof' endeavouring to break the. world's;record 0f,69£/hours for continuous, ing,: since .10.30 , p.mY on; Monday last,' Mr, J.;S. ! Stirton left.his;seat at the piano ,in' the'.Theatre Royal, mouth,, at' ;0;43. a.m., on - Friday,-; with the -remark;'.:"l've had enough." Mr.; .Stirton.. had-played .without; a momentfs respite .for. 74 , -hours ; l3 minute's; thus putting 4: hours■ 43. minutes,on ,to the ■previous /record .(says. • the'.: "Tafanaki Herald"). , In' the whole of' that long time not a minute elapsed without sonw members', of the . comriiittoe: /■ of ..the, general public. being : present. .at; ,'the" theatre,; ..so/:, that the', record is a, thoroughly -genuine;one:. \ When- he left the piano Mr/; Stirton ; was.in' excellent condition- physically, ';and ';ho' would have tried to go on ti11,6.30 aim.;, but for the fact that- the.' heat': and noise, from'.the large 1 crowd-of/spectators who remained'in. the building "got on his nerves,'.', as he /put it:, However,..-Mr/' Stirton,has the consolation that he has: set an extremely.difficult.task to anyone who- desires, to, break, his record.•' •

The/record existing- when 'Mr;.'Stirton commenced his task was .equalled at 8 o'clock On Thursday night, when the theatre was crowded. - ■■ At a: minute past 8 o'clock Mr. Stirton had/put'up/a:new, record,; and -tho • audionc.e gave him very, hearty* applausei: : / Mr.: Stirtori. played., the: music , for/ the biograph' •; pictures that-, followed, arid occasionally played; lively music that ;showed .he; had' still plenty of- vigour, and; spirit.-:-.: At 10 p.m. the. Mayor (Mr. G.vTisch)'walked on to the .stagej and while 1 . Mr. StirtoUj played' softly,, announced that'a world's record-.of .72, hours had then been madp. Mr. \Tisch then presented the new/ world's champion, through his managerMr., Campion, .with, .a handsome gold medal, subscribed for by residents' of thetown. '•■-..'■'.'.

Mr; Campion returned thanks 'for Mr., Stirton, and remarked that.., this was tho fifth time that the latter "had put up a record. : On_ Mr:. Stirton's behalf ho thanked his > trainer, Mr. Muni'o, the'comriiittee,_ and all who' had given assistance, especially in rendering the' nigbt. hours brighter for' the' pianist by means:of impromptu concerts, etc. ■/ : When Mr. Stirton loft the piano, ho walked back to his hotel without -assistance. Ho was allowed a, snort sleep— a long sleep after such ■an effort- of endurance .tends to induce insomnia—and looked littlo tho worse for his efforts. Mr.'Stirton is a/resident of Wanganui, arid is a veterinary "surgeon .-by profession.. ; ■'-. ' ' ' , •■'