THE COMPETITIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 49, 21 November 1919, Page 5

THE COMPETITIONS

\, : «, FIPST "DEMONSTRATION" NIGHT . Tho Competitions Society cava the first of its "demonstration concert?" in tho Town Ilall last evoniTi}!. Consisting as it did of items by over thirty successful competitors, tho program-mo wan a very enjoyable one', of wide variety, and fairly consistent excellence. Mr. G. Mackay (winner of the Bristol Scholarship for the piano) pleased the house con" sidornbly with his rendering of a "Polonaiso in A Flat." He was succeeded by a series of juvenile performers. Little Given Dalton dclirered "My Shadow" with quaint humour and apparent i'orgetfulness of the bis audience confronting her; "Hoses" was sweetly rendered by Master John Wafers; and Stella- Chapman made a ipretty and poetic little figure in the character of Queen Mab. Miss Dulcio Philpott gave a very agreeable tendering of. "The Bells of Twilight." A brilliant little ' humorous reciter. Hazel Johnston, was next, with her imitation of a youngster in the throes of a bad -cold. She was as nearly perfect in her part as any audience could havo wished. Such sneezing and snivelling as she did would have spread consternation in any nurBery. . To Mrs. Eileen' Johns the audience wqs indebted for a fine, spirited rendering of the romantic "Waiata Maori" (Mr. Hill's New Zealand song). Mr. J. C. Dodds, tenor, made an excellent impression with his "Lolita." "The Bal-lad-of the Cianipherdown" was energetically recited by Mr. Lionel Inch. Often as she has appeared in the role, Mica Fanny Kutner succeeded in giving an air of freshness to her impersonation of "Miss Mowcher"—a. clever piece of work, well deserving of tho applause bestowed upon it. Mr. E. P. Lafferty gave a pleasing reading of "Within These Sacred isower«/' AVhen the diminutive James Grieve sang "Killiecrankie" the house insisted upon a recall. Encores were not permitted, so the' young Lauder had to bow his ac" knowlodginents. A breathless melodrama, entitled "The Mystery of tlio Midnight Moon," was rushed by Mr. Howard Moody through its agonising initial stages up to the happy union of Ethelrude and Marmaduko and the due discomfiture of the villain. With, her spider dance the youthful Sinclair Breeu was very successful. The performance' wua marked by an ability that no doubt misled many as to the years of the dancer. A wril solo with obbligato was civen by Miss Corrie Austin, who had Miss D, Talbot (accompanist) and Mr. C. Smallbone (obbligato) to suppor 1 her. Miss Aslin sang "Ave Maria" impressively. -Miss Bessie Thompson's "In tho Shoe Shop" was amusing and very true to the type it was designed to portray. A sna.-ipy hornpipe by Miss Rita Hands c-ioliod 1/earty applause. Mr. P. L. Bradv (baritone) delivered a 6010 tunefullv, !>nt • without great distinction. The exquisite sweetness of Shakespeare's "Juliet"-had a charming' exponent in Mips AVinnio Beck, who recited Juliet's speech from the Balcony Scene. The performance was no less delightful to the eve than to tho ear. Two items of considerable artistic merit were Miss-Olca Wncked'fl rendering of "Three Fishers," and Miss M. H. B. Jones's "It Was ?. Bream." Mr. ,T. 13. F. Perry diverted his hearers with an a>snunt of "]?rnfes=or Windbag's Elocutionary Class," and, to conclude the entertainment. Miss Tlmev Turner. Miss Thelnm M'Kenzie, Miss Phyllis M'Millan. and Master' W'Hie Brown, danced a lively Eeel o' Tulloch.