COMPETITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1602, 20 November 1912, Page 4

COMPETITIONS.

SIXTH DAY. : :.SHAKESPEARE "RICHARD'HI." CKITICISMS IM> RESULTS. ; . . I'liO: have: evidently come 'toTstayi.iri -Weiliiigton. as rin nn'hual fixture. The financial return, for the first week has' been much more satisfactory than for tile correspondins period of last | :year, : aiid, judging by tlie daily increase in the size of the audiences, the public interest is jjuickoiiiiig as the competitions progress., miring nearly the whole of ye.*tcrday. afternoon the Concert Chamber was pretty well filled, and a solid body' of the public listened to the classes that were being judged in tlie big' hall below. During yesterday thero was a piano solo contest "for . performers under 21;- contralto solo; sacred solo; recitation for girls under li; Shakespearean dialogue; and a humorous recital for gentlemen. The entries in somo cases were astonish- . ingly heavy-rsome twenty-three performers competed in the sacred solo (own selection) class. Sir. Wolf , commenced to judge thiit section at 2.45 p.m., and did uot finish until 5.35 p.m. ' THE DAY'S IMPRESSIONS. HISTRIONICS AND MELODY. Tennyson appears to be. rather the vogue at''the,'competitions. On Monday tbo male elocutionists were asked to narratethe' exploit of the brave Lady Godiva. yesterday the same poet's pretty bit .of : verso "The ■ Brook" - was set-for - the little girls.' The'.familiar poem was recited dramatically, pathetically, in the singsong school manner by the litle competitors, but in two. or three instances native intelligence and talent would out, 'and .the old .' lines became illumined. This'was so in the case of tiny Hazel Jeffery, who recited with a bright, appreciation 'of the meaning of ■ the lilies, -and'-with the discreet use of van-coloured tones, assisted by good enunciation and /pronunciation, out-distanced all . her rivals. One little girl had. <vidently been told of Hamlet's advice to tho players "to suit the aictibn to the word," for she illustrated every line most quaintly; She drew in tho air the winding river, the bridges which spanned it, "tho eddy.ing bays," . measured the'.height, of : the brimniing river .'by . reaching 'up, and showed how the river slid by sliding with her foot.' All of' this' was ainuiing, ami, of course, wholly incorrect. Queen Anne and Gloucester. There is no denying the stiffness of the task set for, many -of tho elocutionary classes..- Stragglers along the histrionic way., were asked' to recite that estremelv difficult scene -between Queen Anno and Gloucester at the outset of Shakespeare s, tragedy, "Richard III." This is nothing light even to the experienced—to amateurs it is what the profession colloquially call " a : pill." Taking a tolerant view of the work: (lone by .competitors, the showing made was really "very good. Mr. JVC. Bell - and Miss Betty who are associated', in much clever';work at the competitions, vrore 4iiito y/convincing, jtiss PuvdonV is much' too light vocally, as w-ell as.in lier,.style,-to;.do Queen Anne justice,, yet her.wqrk was niarked bv the 'keen" iti£elligcnce:' v tha[fr / redeems almost everytking she docs.- Mr. Bell made "Crook-back" quite an animated study. He. suggested the. action.of' the. sceue, "stage-managed"- the movements, and -with a, nice degree.of subtlety worked the change in Anne's feelings, with jnsfc that suggestion of quasi-6oinic hypocrisy wnich gave tho proper to one of Shakespeare's most interesting kings. As Queen "Anne, Miss' Ethel; Churchill - was a very gentle Anne, a- very . soft pliant, widow.' Save for her habit of dropping tlie last word of almost every her elocution was good,-, and her reading of the lines good. -. She was handicapped by a Gloucester who made-no effort, to suggest tho character other than b.v recitiDgitho lines. The next pair ttere Miss D. Blan'clmrfl and Mr. Stanley Rankin. Miss Blanchard had, little idea of tlia task she had undertaken. She was quite flaccid, and lacked the remotest suggestion I subtlet}'.' ,On tlio .o'uh'er-hand-her partner, i :#r. . : 'rv£Akih; , ?avo' , very •. conscientious readingi'i'preachy. perhaps, in tone,, but still quite.'.'.passable. Nona of the com"quite, grasped .tlie state < of 'Richard's mind; after Anne's /exit. He is keenly' gleeful at thfe success! of his., impudence, and''flattered at the Realisation, of his povrCT'' to. cajole a, Queen even; over the.-,dead Ijody' of'.the; husband, lie. has slaughtered. Miss 'Purdoiri anil. Ifr.' Bell, .and;-Miss Blancliard and Mr. Rankin, .'were recalled V.' ' . .; ( : Song and Comedy. , Strange to say, "the contraltos who. havo been winning in other sections did not put in an appearance'in the contralto solo test during the afternoon. Mrs. Symes; and Miss o'.Keefe : -yere notable absentees. Miss Lulu Poster satg the. aria, "Laseia Ch'io Pia.nga,"..in good taste, though her 'singiiig was hardly temperamental eixougli to do tho' number full justice. In;. Miss E. M. Young.(of ; Kelburne) one heard a contralto Voice of nice musical quality, and' plenty ;of promise. Miss Clarke also saiig/tboiar.ia expressively. Humour—Alleged and Otherwise. At 3.45 p.m. there was a general exodns froni the Town Hall, where the sacred solo contest was being held, to tho Concert Chamber, where the public was promised lighter entertainment in the humorous recital. Mr. J. C. Bell gave a clever burlesgiio on tlio melodrama, in which the performer gavo further evidence of his '-pronounced versatility. Mr. Zante .Wood •also made the melodrama a prop for his humour,' and succeeded in creating .plenty . of hearty'laughter. Mr. Cyril Girdlestoiie 'stive; a 'time-honoured burlesque of :"The .Charge', of tho Light Brigade." Mr. A. , J:. Masou';.was. out of his class, and Mr. ■ H/ G. Cooper failed , to amuse in. "The Stuffed. Owl," for J-he simple reason that ■ everyone'.'was in .the joke—as they .Were ten 'years age, 'Mr. T. H. ICenhy. recited i'fColien at' the'.Telephone" witli an iin- . certain dialect,- and t little natural hum.Dur. Mr. J.:P. Delahunty, with'soma show of originality, recited- on original bit of humorous verse, in .which figured the names of nearly all the competitors in the. class. The versification!' was distinctly good, and ' Mr! Delahunty was. loudly and .'deservedly applauded.,.. Mr. J. Iv. Hornblow :was very glib in "Not Too Bad," but hardly, got'deep enough, into the character ' of 'the old German who to"= the story. Downstairs Mr. Wolf took the whole of the afternoon; to hear:;the sacred sola (gentlemen), which, owing, to its extreme length, ' .became 'somewhat wearisonra. Porhans tlie character of the numbers contributed to a sense of. boredom, but it is almost impossible', to-listen to four people .<rfng "It is, Enough" without yawning. -The talent was- onlv fair—sometimes a good deal less than that. The jndere recalled Mr. Hnrrv Phinns ("I-ead, Kindlv Light"). Mr. Harry GUI ("If with all Your Heart"), Mr. A. G. .Thomnson,' and Mr. Vincent ("It is .Enough"). Oho other in tho writer's pstiwatio'n, sl>/M\ld. have been recalled —Mr. Arthur M'Drmald, who gave a most artistic reading of the "Elijah" number. THE RESULTS, The res-ilts of the various competitions are as follow:— Piano Solo. f Piano Solo (under 21)— For competitors . who have, never won a first prize at this or any similar competition.—Test .. . Piece, "Rove Angeliquo" (Rubenstein). i'iret prize, -■ 'JJI 10s.-, second; ' 155.; third. Certificate. Entrants—Miss A. H. E. Sliearsbv, Wanga.inii; Miss J. Green, Palnierstoii North; Mr. Basil Kingan, Christchurch; Miss D. B. White, Auckland; Miss Amy Watts, Hastings; Miss ,-G. D. Shepherd. Kilbirnie; Miss P. P. Hanify, Wellington. • Recalls—Misses, White, Shepherd, and Hnhify. Result.—l, Miss Hanify. (137 marts); 2. ■Miss\Wliitn (132 marks);-3, iriss Shepherd (131 marks). Recitation. Recitation (Girls under M who have never won a) first prize at this or similar Competitions)— Test Piece, "The Brook" 'Tennyson). First prize, -Silver Medal; second, Bronzo Medal ; third. Certificate. , Entrants—Miss <V Bickel, Palniorston North; Miss M.' Rowlands, Palm'erston North; Miss C. M. Aitcheson, Wellington; ■Miss V. M." Johnson 1 , Wellington; Miss M. 'Bouttoll. Wellington; Miss L.'Snovr. Wel-

lington; Miss Hazel F. Jeffery, Wellington; Miss L. Rowntree, 'WoMi.iiglon; Miss jl. J. .M'l.-itren, lVellinglon. a Recalls—Misses Aitcheson, V. M. Johnsou, Jell'ery, and M'Laren. Tho judge, Mr. Montague, said that ho was afraid there were mistakes in punctuation in file book-, which had led tho children or their teachers astray in two or three instances. Result.—], Miss Jeffery (112 marks); 2, Miss Aitcheson (139 murks); 3, A'.iss M'Laren (1110 marks;. Flute Solo". Flute Solo—Test Piece, "Serenade" (de Jong). First 'prize, .£2; second, A'l ; third, Certificate. Entrant—Mr. S. Jr. Hobbs, Wellington. Mr. Hobbs was awarded second prize. Contralto Solo. , Contralto Solo—Test Piece, Recit. -"Armida, Dispietnta," Aria, "Laseia Ch'io. Pianga," (Weeping for Ever), (llan-: ;del). First prize, XI; second, 10s.; '■third, Certificate. Entrants—Miss A. Goodman, Christchurch; Miss Lulu Foster, Wanganui; Miss Blanelio Clark, Bulls; Miss 13. M. Young, Kelbunie. Recalls—Misses . Foster, Clark, and Young. . ■ , - Result.—l, Miss Clarke (137 marks); 2, Alia Young (135 marks); 3, Miss Foster (131 marks). . Shakespearean Dialogue. Shakespearean Dialogue (Liuly and Gentleman), not in character —Test Piece, Scene from Richard 111, "Duke of Gloucester and Lady Anne." Act I, Sceno 11. First prize, J&i second, ;£2; • third, Certificate. "■ ■ | Entrants—Mr. Stanley Rankin and Miss D. "Blanebard, Wellington; Mr. James Oulford Bell and Miss Betty' Purdoni, Wellington; Mr. T.iH. Kenny and Ethel Churchill, Duiicdin. 1 Recalls—Mr. Stanley Rahkin and 3liss Blanchard, and Mr. J. C. Bell and Miss Betty Purdoni. '• " ' „ Result.-I, Miss Purdom and Mr. Bell (M 3 marks); 2, Miss Blanchard and Mr. Rankin, ; and Miss Churchill and Mr. Kenny (135 marks). ' Hurrorous Recital. Humorous Recital (Gentlemen); own selection. First prize, .£2; second, .£1; third, Certificate. . . Entrants—Mr. James Culford Bell ("A Jlilitary Monologue"), Lower Hutt;, Mr. John R. Horiililow ("Not Too Bad"), Foxton; Mr. A. J. Mason ("A Modern Sermon"), Petone; Mr. Zantp Wood ("A Melodrama"), Wellington; Mr. Byron Brown' ("Our :Guide' in Rome"),- Otaki; Mr. Cyril S.' Girdlestono, Wellington; Mr. Harry Basil Cooper, Wellington; Mr. T. H. Kenny ("Cohen at the Telephone"), Dunedin; Mr.' J. P. Delahunty, Recalls—Messrs. Wood, Girdlestone, Delahunty, and Hornblow.Result.—l, Mr. Wood (151 marks); 2, Mr. Girdlestono (US marks); 3, Mi-. Hornblow (147 marks). Mr.. Delahunty was awarded a special prize in this section of the value of .£1 Is. . ■ ~ Sacred Solo (Gentlemen). Sacred Gentlemen (own selection). First prize, £2; second,. £1} third, Certificate. Entrants—Mr. Arthur M'Donald ("It Is Eliough"), Christchurch; Mr. Harry Phipps ("Lead, Kindly Light"), .Wellington; Mr. W. F., Howse ("Crossing the Bar"), Wellington; Mr. E. H. Short, Tataitai; Mr. Herbert Harre. ("0 God Have Mercy"), Christchureli; MrV G. ,S. Davidson ' ("For the Mountains Shall Depart"), Wellington; Mr. E. L. Rfade ("Pater Noster".),'' Melrose ;• Mr. Harry FUzherbert Green (Recitation and Air. "Ye People, llend Your Hearts"), Mastertpn'; Mr. G. M. Howe ("Total Eclipse"); Auckland; ,Mr. H. V. Burton ("Ixird,God of Abraham"). Auckland; Mr. C. .1. Spillaiie ("0 God Have Mercy"), Wanganui; Mr.' W. H. Church ("Honour and Arms"), Wolling- ' ton;. Mr. F. Cray ("ThOu'rt' Passing Hence"). Wellington; Mr; Harry Gill ("If With All Your Heart"), Christcliurcli; Mr. Jonathan B. Bowman (Recitation and Air, "Soft Souther# , B.i;p.<?z^'),,, ! ton ; Mr. William Jo)iii l -..S,m;at!i, (!- Nazareth"-), Christchurch; Mr. Dan .T, Evans, Wellington ; Mr. D. Y. Cymro, Melbourne. Victoria; Mr. A. G. Thompson. Nelson; ■ Mr. Vincent Lewis. ("It is Enough"), Wellington ;..Mr, F. W. Laycock ("Thou'rt Passing:, Hence"), Brooklyn; Mr. L. C. Tvavers ("It, is Enough,"),- .Wellington : Mr.' John R.' Hughe?. ("Pro.' Peccatis")', ! Wellinffton. ', . • •■ . R-ecalls—Messrs. H. Phipps, Harry' Gill, A. G. Thompson, and Vincent Lewis. Resivlt.—l. Mr. Lewis (145 niarfcs); 2, Mr. H. Phip'ns (133 marks); 3. Jlr. 'Thompson (132 marks); 4, Mr. Gill (130 marks).