COMPETITIONS-AIM & VALUE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1535, 3 September 1912, Page 7

COMPETITIONS-AIM & VALUE.

COMMENT BY A JUDGE.

(By T«JoiraDli.~Sßecial Oorr<!SDon(lent.l Auckland, September 2. Mr.-W. A. Orchard, judge of the musical section of the Aucklahd Competitions, left for Sydney to-day. During the course of an interview he made some interesting remarks dealing with tlie general value of competitions. There was no doubt of the. value and importance of competitions, .which were growing enormously everywhere, especially in England, where every large town ran them. They were not regarded altogether as business ventures, but as artistic,events, and. the keenness of the interest in them was enormous. He hoped that.the idea of competitions—nioro:t'or pure honour and less for money ;prizes—would grow in Alstralin. .Money'prizes were all very, well, but their chief, advantage was that they were an inducement to performers (especially to large choirs), to travel long distances for the purpose of competing. He would like to see a section of events in the competition in which there would be no money prizes, and in which Uve honour of winning should, be the sole , reward. . A very large'competition was, Uβ said, held in Paris last May, ond a very large c'oiltiiigent of choirs of all 'elioirjy liiixed voice?,, and children's choirs —frent-from England to Compete. ■"•Even the Sheffield-Choir crossed, not to'.:compete but to give exhibition- performances and concert work during the progiess-of the'.festival' in the big choral and other departments.' There were lio prizes, and that seemed to him an excellent feature. It was-no doubt necessary to have, some prizes to enable the competitors to have the chance to cover their expenses, but he thought that it would-be a wise step in future to have some events in which honour should be the-solo object. Speaking of choirs, Mr. Orchard, stated that he looked upon the choral side, of competitions as tne most important part. It engaged a larger number of performers' than other sections, and even when there was a 'money prize the members of choirs were uot,.jaiul could not, seek any individual glory.' Ttey were all singing their best for the honour of the choir, individual interest being submerged in the collective, and the best kind of spirit was thus fostered. Choir events, properly handled, wero without doubt a strong popular attraction, and thery formed a fitting cliriiax to the other work of competitions. Great care should be exercised in selecting thn test pieces for choir work. There should be at least three pieces of snch variety as to give ample scope for the choirs to display their ability, and they must be of a kind worthy to merit the work of at least a month in preparation. ' '