COMPETITIONS SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1696, 12 March 1913, Page 8

COMPETITIONS SOCIETY.

V —— r ~4 REVISING THE PROGRAMME. At a meeting "of the New Zealand Competitions Society held last evening (Mr. W. H. Atack in the chair], it was decided that the dates for, this year's Competitions should be from November .3 .to November 15, inclusive. The final balance-sheet in connection with last year's festival, submittal .by the secretary (Mr.' Jas. Dykes), showed a credit: balance of J5-J5 Bs. 3d., the ..society' how having a credit, balance of ■£SG, ' and assets amounting in value to about: „C2O;

The draft syllabus for the coming Competitions'was submitted, and exhaustively analysed by,tho committee. Several of the classes which failed to induce many entries'last year were cut -out. Aniong these were the. classes for boy and girl scouts, which were very feebly supported, and the classes for mandolins, clarionets, and brass instruments. In connection with the last-named it 1 was pointed out that the various brass band contests held in New Zealand catered for those; instruments under conditions"better suited to them than those.of vocal and elocutionary competitions.

An .important alteration was made respecting the choir contests. It had been pointed out: that the one big concert for choirs which figured on the programmes of the last two festivals-held out,no.inducements to .the..smaller looal church choirs to,, compete. If they did so, it was a foregone conclusion that the larger .choirs must, excel on account of the character -of the music sot . for competition. As it was the earnest desire of.the committee to encourage the small choirs, it Was decided to-include in this year's programme two r choral contests, the first a' grand choral cmitcst for choirs with a minimum of 80 voices (prizes, .£SO and r815), anil the second a contest for church choirs with a maximum of 20 voices, (prizes, ,£25 niid Begg*.s Challenge' Shield and .£lo).' This arrangement, it. was thought, would induce several of the smaller choirs to enter, as the imisic set would be of a character quite within the ;scope of a small body of voic.es. It was decided to write t to Mr. Charles Wilson, Assembly Librarian, asking him to officiato as judge of the literary sections.

Owing to the pressure of work entailed by his clerical duties, the Rev. Father Hickson - retired from tin* Finance Committee. ' His place was filled bv the appointment of Mr. AV. K. Fuller. Tlie approaching departure of the Rev. E. 0. Blamires caused a'vacancy on the Programme' Committee, which was filled by the appointment of Mr. H. Plimmer. An ' important innovation in this year's programme will be a dance section for children, in which several classes are included. The appointment of a judge for these classes was' left in abeyance. Mr. J. M. Clark was appointed judge of Iho oratory and 1 debating classes.