Competition Comment

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 133, 26 August 1927, Page 9

Competition Comment

By C SHARP. If the 1927 competitions have done nothing else they have revealed that a very satisfactory standard in school singing exists in Auckland. The results provide substantial proof of the value of music In schools. * • • The elocutionary items heard yesterday were again very well patronised by competitors. For the girls’ class, to 10, "The Clothes Line,” no less than 61 entries were received, and it was found necessary to hear the class in two sections. On the wTiQle the worlc was of a high standard, a number of very interesting performances being given. * * • In the boys’ section, "Song of the Western Men” and "Boat Song,”' the Bayfield District School, Herne Bay, won by the substantial margin of 25 points. In the girls’ class the previous day the same school also headed the list with a majority of 31 points. The marked superiority of one school over another in this respect only goes to show what can be done in the schols. * * * In the recitation for girls, 11 to 12 ( Nod”), at the Unity Hall this mornln&. only about six of the competitors were successful in obtaining the spirit or the piece. Four were recalled and two highly commended. Owing to the number of entries received it was found necessary to divide the class into two sections, section B being held later in the day. h im provement in the tenor and oaritone singing was recorded in the class for sacred songs heard at the auk 6l ** chamber this morning. Although several withdrawals somewhat weakened the class, a much imstandard was in evidence. In n-n u° n *° three recalls which be heard this evening, highly commended marks were awarded to three competitors. the designation "humorous ecital” and “character recital (in cosume)” should plaintly indicate what 3 required, quite a number of compe‘itors continually confuse the two as ® es ’ which are quite distinct. In humorous class for men yesterday" cveral of the items were bordering Dptff on the character class, one comeven appearing in costume. ‘ rr /h°ugh acknowledged by the judge be the best performance he had to be disqualified. * * * as only to be expected, the n ? of the boys in the schools’ of*?* Was not quite as good as that ... , e J Kirls. Although considered by sonw »£? e to he quite good the first J?. bong of the Western Men.” was tj,- ren dered in the right style, and all sion teams lacked expresteaching school singing boys at a more difficult problem, and th« , , do not take to it as keenly as a 81r i S * Nevertheless the performtinGTi. tIIG winning team was disner exploitation of school singing. the juvenile choir class '°, ices > with 351 points, the Dorf^l ai Scho °l put up a distinctly good PfeciaH^ nCe ; The jud^e expressed apDariin, tl -° n , of the standard shown, lect!ll Ulai :! y in regard to the first seCnison’ A ! ! Throu^h the Night.” ® in &*ng, he said, was the most ,* est in choral work. The work thn* ° winning choir was very good in wa, number, while the round-singing Dvenile had eVer Ueard by *