WORTHY EFFORT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20024, 24 August 1939, Page 14

WORTHY EFFORT

COMPETITION CHOIRS

JUDGE’S COMPLIMENTS PROGRESS 01’’ FESTIVAL LAST NIGHT’S AWARDS The results of efforts made by those responsible for tbe appearance of a number of children's choirs ai the annual festival of the Gisborne Competitions Society was Ihe .subject. of gratified comment by the musical judge, Mr. Len Barnes, in announcing the awards at last nights session. He had been particularly pleased w ith all the work in this class, said Mr. Barnes, who added that choral singing was something that all lovers of music should do thenutmost to encourage. A number of visiting choirs in this section had given the audience much good work, and they deserved thanks lor coming so far to compete. Their conductors, too, deserved congratulations upon having given the children under their care a start in musical liic. Praise was due to country schools for taking so much trouble. There were faults that might be referred to, said Mr. Barnes, but there was also much that was satisfying in the work of these choirs. A main point was that he had not noticed a single harsh note in any of the performances. The winners of the class, a Gisborne choir, had secured a total of 190 marks out of a maximum of 200, and others also had scored well. In his comments upon the piano work in a juvenile class, Mr. Barnes said that the ‘work generally was quite good. Teachers must try to remember, however, that tone work was the first thing to consider, and that dexterity was not the whole art of the piano. The judge of dancing, Madame Eugenie Dennis, took occasion in making her awards to express regret concerning the failure of competitors in the miscellaneous dance ciass to exploit character and classic dances, in preference to ballet numbers. They were better for young people, she felt, than the ballet, the most difficult form of dancing. Children should be taught rhythm as the basis of all dancing, Madame Dennis added. Wha* she described as a marvellous performance by a tiny lot,, Rosemary Aislabie, was particularly mentioned by Madame Dennis, who commented that the child's teacher must have spent endless time and trouble to produce such results in one so young.

The programme submitted to last night's session was a lengthy one, but the audience showed keen enjoyment to its close, and followed fh’e efforts of the performers, both juvenile and adult, with much interest.

Awards announced during the even ing were as under:— CHILDREN’S CHORUS 12 to 14 Voices Test and Own Selection

Mrs. T. Berry’s Junior Choir, “Dawn, Gentle Flower,” 199pts. 1 Mrs. A. C. Coleman’s Junior Choir, “Rose Amongst the Heather, 193pts. .. 2 iNuhaka Native School Choir, “Tir-nan-og,” and Tolaga Bay Secondary School (tie), 190pts. 3 Also Competed. Tolaga Bay Primary School, A and B. MISCELLANEOUS DANCE Under 9 Years • Audrey Illingworth, 82 points .. 1 Margaret Goodyear, 81 points .. 2 Billy Fryer, 80 points .. . • 3 Very Highly Commended. —June Turnbull. Margaret Hands, Jaaet IMolony, Margaret Dominey apd Rosemary Aislalbie. Also Competed—Mary Dominey, Dale Simpson, Annette Gartshore, Colleen Anderson, Ruth Johns, Avon Davy, Shirley Jackson, Marjorie Forshaw. Lois-Micliic, Shirley Moss, Janet Upton, Ann White, Pamela Turbitt, Gabrielle Nossiter, and Adrienne Grant.

RECITATION Girls Under 13 Own Selection Erica Robertson, “Tune in to Fairyland,” 79 points 1 Valerie Cleary, Hastings, “Farmer Jeff,” 78 points 2 SWORD DANCE Under 13 Years Heather Loch, 80 points .. •• 1 Annette Shields, 79 points .. • ■ 2 Creina Gee, QPukekohe, 77 points.. 3 PIANO SOLO 10 to 13 Years Own Selection Julius Ferris, “Miranda,” 81 points 1 Des. Robinson, “Londonderry Air,” 76 points 2 CLASSIC DANCE Under 13 Years Marjorie Croskery, “Falling Leaves, ’ 83 points • ■ 1 Annette Shields, “Trees,” 81 points 3 Very Highly Commended.—Miriam James, “Autumn Leaves,” and Joyce Hindrup. Also Competed.—Verna Ellis, “The Bubble”; Valerie Cleary, Hastings, “To the Spring”; Marie Cooper; Gabrielle Nossiter; Margaret Allen, “Twilight,” and Mihi Swann. SONG Isoys Under 15 Years Own Selection Raymond Berry, 76 points .. .. 1 Blanford Baker, 74 points .. ■■ 2 j Also Competed.—Kenneth Harris, lan Fraser, Tolaga Bay, Johnse McCullough, Tclaga Bay, and Hugh Rickard. NEGRO SPIRITUAL Lady or Gentleman Mr. W. Bentley, Napier, “Were You There?”, 88 points -. . • 1 Mr. Louis F. Thodey, “Deep River,” 82 points 2 MUSICAL MONOLOGUE Not Humorous Miss Daphne Violich. Wellington, “Snowflakes,” 102 points .. .. 1 Miss Joyce Annca. Napier, “Lessen of the Watermill,” 99 points .. 2 SACRED SOLO Ladies—Own Selection Miss Joyce Witters, “Green Pastures," 85 points 1 Mrs. .1. S. Rutherford, “Allelujah,” 84 points 2 Mrs. Edith Hale. “The King of Love,” 83 points 3 Highly Commended.—Mrs. Iyae Morrow, “The Prayer To meet." RECITATION Gentlemen —Own Selection Mr. Raymond Annan, Napier, “Ballad of the Clampcrdown,” 75 points .. .. • ■ .. 1 Mr. Norman Lee, “My Son,” 74pts. 2

VIOLIN SOLO 12 to 1G Years Own Selection. Leslie Ryan, 76 points • • .. 1 Also Competed.—Richmond Kirke, “Melody.” LADIES’ DUET Own Selection Misses Myra and Olive Black, “I Would That My Love,” 99 points 1 Mrs, A. C. Coleman and Miss Joan Coleman, “Night of Stars and Night of Love,” 95 points ..2 Also Competed.—Misses F. Smart and H. Pirie, “The Splendous Falls”; Misses N. Miller and I. Petersen, “The Travellers’ Return”; and Misses Diana Down and Elsie Down, “Ye Banks and Braes.” NATIONAL SONG Gentlemen —Own Selection Mr. D. E. Goldsmith, “Cruiskeen Lawn,” 87 points .. • • .. 1 Mr. W. Bentley, Napier, “I Am a Friar of Orders Gray,” 85 points 2 HARMONICA SOLO Open —Own Selection Mr. J. T. Hayes. 167 points .. 1 Mr. A. L. O’Neill, 164 points ... 2 Mr. J. S. Allen, 156 points .. 3 Also Competed.—Messrs. Hugh A. R. Patterson, R. Hannah, F. R. Poole, Me'rvyn J. Fleming, and R. Wallace, Misses Jean Popples, Mary King, and Doreen Scott. SONG IN COSTUME Gentlemen —Own Selection Mr. H. Cameron, "Good-Bye, ’ 102 points .. • • • • . • 1 Mr. W. Bentley, Napier, “Prologue,” 101 points 2 MUSICAL MONOLOGUE , Under 12. Own Selection Valerie Cleary, Hastings, “Touchin’ < Fings,” 74 points .. .. 1 June Brunton, “Puzzled,” 73 points .. .. • • • ■ 2 Highly Commended. Vivienne Quigley, “Sherwood in the Twilight.” Also Competed. John Gordon, “Work,” Nerissa Hughes, of a Fairy,” Jane Elliott, “BroOk Song,” Brian Connop. GROUP DANCE Four or More Performers Miss I. Sharpies' pupils, “ Opera - .tique,” 85 points . • • • 1 Miss I. Sharpies’ pupils, “Moonlight,” 84 points .. • • 2 Miss Tua Smith’s pupils, “Trees,” 30 points 3 Also Competed.—Poverty Bay Academy of Dancing, “Bacchante.” TO-NIGHT’S PROGRAMME Again this evening the Gisborne Competitions Society will present a varied and attractive programme, the session covering a wide range of choral, solo and instrumental music, elocution, and dancing. A good opening class will be the choral item, for 12 or more voices, two of the entries being included in tonight's programme and the other tomorrow night. A tap duo, sailor’s hornpipe, scan truibhais, classic dance, and a tap troupe class will comprise the dancing judge s responsibilities, while the judge of music will take, in addition to the choral number, a harmonica solo for schoolchildren, a mezzo-soprano solo, a song in costume for children, a musical monologue, a sacred solo for- gentlemen, and will share with the dancing judge two song-and-dance classes. Thi3 elocutionists will be less strongly represented at this session, but will contribute well to the programme as a whole.