The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1928. LOCAL TALENT.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 August 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1928. LOCAL TALENT.

Tiie third series of the present revival in local competitions was launched by tlie Westland Society on Saturday. The festival is to be continued to-day and to-morrow, and part of Wednesday, winding up with a demonstration concert on Thursday night. The Society is to be congratulated on the opening phases of tlie Competitions. Notwithstanding adverse weather conditions, the attendance must have been gratifying, and indicates the degree of public interest which lias been stimulated by these annual musical and elocutionary gatherings. Nowadays with gramophones, pianolas and wireless, there is a tendency for musical training to be neglected rather, but such gatherings as the present serve to keep alive the flame of interest, and as Competitions are very general throughout tlie Dominion, there is some hope that the tide of mechanical opposition in tlie musical world to which we have referred , will not be altogether successful, and that floods of canned music is not to be the gate of the world in the future. It is to be hoped from the evidence of local talent displayed, 'that our young people will carry on with their musical studies, and that art will still have a foremost place in the education of the rising generation. As regards the elocutionary side of the programme, there is always room for more competitors.' The President on Saturday night expressed the hope for the revivAl of the literary and debating clubs so that an essential side of Competition work would attain the prominence it should. There is plenty of room for more solid advance in this respect locally, and we feel sure tlie talent is here were it but developed. What was demonstrated with tlie playettes coukl be carried further, and good work could be done. The study of classical authors and tlie reproduction of some of their great works, would lie of value alike to the speaker as to his audience, and it is certainly i to be hoped this side of the Competitions will be worked up for next year. Some of the visiting competitors gave an insight into the better class of work it is possible to produce, and one could not but notice the wrapped interest and attention of the audience during such pourtraynlfi. It was just evidence of the public appreciating to the full the higher standard of the work produced. There is always room for improvement in the art of public speaking. Oratory does not occupy tlie place it once did, but there is no reason why it should be neglected, or no effort made to recover the art. - It is to lie trusted therefore that the Society in the interval before next Competition time, will make some move to ensure tlie elocutionary side of its objective being stimulated to a greater extent. The dancing section lias developed pleasingly, and we are informed something more attractive still in that resnect will be presented. The art seems to be practiced in the main by the I young ladies and they enjoy it with! enthusiastic zest. It seems to suggest *

the spirit of the times, for we are moving in a brighter and blithesome period and that is the occasion for youth and its revels. The Competitions so well launched on Saturday promise to continue in happy vein to the end. It is good to see local, talent being developed. It will be helpful to our national life, and for that reason well deserves and should commend unstinted public support throughout the season of the festival.