THE COMPETITIONS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1762, 29 May 1913, Page 9

THE COMPETITIONS.

SUGGESTIONS AS TO CONTROL. A meeting of the committee of the Now Zealand Competitions Society was held yesterday, Mr. W. H. Atack presiding. The conditions to govern, 'the choral competitions at tho forthcoming festival were discussed. At the previous meeting of the committee it had been decided that the minimum number of voices for thb grand choral* contest should I>9 30, no maximum being ddin«l, and that in the church choir contest the maximum be 20 voices with no minimum.

Mr. I'. J. Oakos thought tho maximum .for the grand choral competition should be defined, otherwise large todies of singers would have too great an advantage. Ho moved, that the maximum for this contest bo 70 voices.

Mr. A. M. Le.wis seconded the motion pro forma. He did not agree that a maximum of 70 would bs fair by comparison with a minimum of 30. The numbers left too big a margin between maximum and minimum, and the larger bodies would hare too great an advantage. Ho suggested that tho maximum should bo GO, and that there should be no minimum. This suggestion was agreed to by Mr. oake3, and a motion embodying it was carried.

On. Mr. Lewis's proposal, the maximum for church choirs was fixed at 25 voices.

Mr. H. Plimmer informed the committoo that he had heard a rumour that the nieces set for the oloe.ution contests In Wellington wero exactly the same as thoso for Napier. Tliis, ho thought, would pive competitors at Napier an advantage in that they would lmvo had the benefit before competing here of public and private criticism of their performances. Ho moved that this matter bo referred to the Programme Committee. The motion was carried.

Mr. A. M. Lewis brought forward a suggestion that tho judge in tho choral contests should bo screened off from tlie competitions, as in band contests. The proposal was deferred for consideration at somo future meeting.

Horr Carl Sauer waitod upon tho committee to lay bsforo it certain suggestions in tho control of competitions. ITo asloed whether the local secretary had given any attention to competitions for children's choirs. These had been very much favoured in Australia, and ho believed they had a very beneficial and educative effect on the children, besides affording a popular attraction. He thought, too, that in all classes first prizo-winnere in previous competitions, hero or elsewhere, should bo debarred. This would encourage new competitors to enter, and the educative effect of tho competitions would be broadened. Ho advised i also that a class be instituted for original competition in. music. It was tho usual practico, he believed, to give the title champion to the best player in an open class. He thought the title should not bo given to one who could merely play the set piece best, but. to the best allround educated musician, and the besteducated musician should be discovered by requiring competitors to play a set piece, an own choice piece, and a piece of sight reading. Ho advised also that music should be selected ahead, in order that the choico might be revised by tho committee, nnd in order that the music might be obtained by tho warehouses. Some of the pieces selected for competition ho had known wore unwisely chosen. He advised that choir competitions should bo judged by three men, nnd not by one only, lie believed also that a competition for short scenes from opera would bo very popular, both with competitors and the public. Herr Sauer offered a number of other suggestions, mostly in matters _of detail, nnd the committes accorded him a vote of thanks for having attended and given valuable hints, which, it was hoped, might b9 turned to account in framing programmes in future.