BENEFIT TO CITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 797, 18 October 1929, Page 11

BENEFIT TO CITY

JUDGES URGE SUPPORT FOR COMPETITIONS OFFICIAL OPENING Although the judging commenced at 10 o’clock yesterday morning the official opening of the Auckland Competitions Society’s fourth annual festival was not held until the evening session. At 7.30 Mr. Andrew Menzies, president of the society, thanked the competitors for their support, and expressed the belief that the society would have a successful season. Mr. J. IV. Bailey, of Wanganui, the elocutionary judge, said the development of character resulting from the competitions would not only benefit the competitors, but eventually the city. In their own interests citizens should give the competitions their strong support. Mr. Lance Craig, of Hastings, the vocal judge, spoke on the necessity for individual effort. He hoped that New Zealanders would never be content to sit and listen to someone else. In the realm of music there was ample scope for the activity of everybody who liked to take it up, and it was worth while putting out a little effort to excel. When announcing the results at the close of the evening Mr. Craig said it had been a real pleasure to him to listen to the performances, and he thought that many people who were absent did not realise what they were missing.

The recall numbers from the day session provided pleasing entertainment. A pretty spectacle was provided by Miss Lillian O’Leary’s ballet competing in the junior class. This contest, in which one ballet will appear each evening, promises to be very popular. Character and costume items proved the most popular, the four finalists in the character song for children under 16 being particularly so. The winner, Rena Geddes, was the winner of the gold medal in tho children’s classes last year. Results at the evening session and in the afternoon were: TEST RECITATION, WOMEN “My Mind To Mo a Kingdom Is’’ (Jonson). Miss Hilda Morse (Auckland), 70 points 1 Miss Phyllis Torpy (Hamilton), 78 .. 2 Miss Edna Thomas (Epsom), 75 .... 3 Very Highly Commended.—Miss Mabel Bryant (Papatoetoe). Highly commended: Miss Gay Corrie (Grey Lynn), Miss Thelma Clarke (Kingsland). The judge said that a lot might be expected in the future of a number of those who competed. The winner gave a very artistic performance. SONG IN CHARACTER (Children under 16, Own Selection.) Rena Geddes (Mount Eden) 3 Desmond Casey (Birkdale) 2 Joy Simon (Remuera) and Gladys Cain (Point Chevalier), equal .... 3 Some very pleasing performances were given, said the judge. The winner was very natural. The second boy sang really weU, but the judge said that he was bound by the system of awarding points laid down by the committee and he was aware that some members of the audience would criticise the placings. One point which had occurred to him was that the spng “O Sole Mio” was too mature ior so young a boy. OPERATIC SOLO (Own Selection.) Miss M inifred I-lill (Ponsonby), 150 wr- Points.. ‘Jewel Song” (Faust) .... l Miss Cecilia Pringle (Parnell), 149, Romance” (Mignon) ... Mrs. Reffel (Auckland) ” 3 Highly Commended.—Mrs. L. Raynes (Ponsonby) and Miss Norma Stevens (Grey Lynn). A very good class, the judge remarked. No operatic stars were revealed, but there were some very nice performances. of s <> n g counted in arriving at the decision. SPANISH DANCE (Over 16. Open). Eileen Olsen (Grey Lynn), 90 points .. 1 Kathleen Boyle (Auckland) 2 Joyce Simon (Auckland) 3 The judge remarked that the winner was the only competitor who adhered throughout to Spanish steps. BASS SOLO “Tho Drums of Life” (Lohr-Campbell). Arthur H. Turner (St. Heliers), 136 points * i With only three competitors this was a very disappointing class, the judge considering that only one was worthy of a prize. PIANOFORTE SOLO (Children under 12). Patrick Towsey (Grey Lynn), 180 points 1 Wynne Simpson (One Tree Hill)* *l7B points 2 Edna Rainey (Devonport), 168 points 3 Very Highly Commended.—Joan Philpott (Green Lane). Highly Commended.—Joan Bennie (Ellerslie). The judge said that the three prizewinners did a little better at night than in the preliminary test. DANCE DUO (Children 11 and under 14). Doris Emptage and Ruby Jones *. 1 Gladys Cain and Loloma Kay 2 All the dances given were well known, ihe judge had hoped to see something more original. TEST RECITATION. (Girls, 9 and under 12).

Marjorie Treanor (Pukekohe), S 4 points 1 Ngaire Teweri (Auckland), 83 2 Audrey Wood (Paeroa), 78 3 Highly Commended.—Shirley Hayson (Bayfield). With 35 entries, this was one of the largest classes. The judge said that, as usual, the children were .especially good. TENOR SOLO “Dolorosa” (Phillips-Chappell). Thomas S. Moffitt (Westmere) and Gaorge Lawson (Hikurangi), 75 points, equal 1 Linton H. Eskrigge (Paeroa), 74 ..3 The judge said that each of the recalled competitors gave a very pleasing performance, and in the aggregate their marks came so close that the first and second places had to be shared between two competitors. TOE DANCE (12 to 16). Edna Tullett (Mount Roskill), 75 points 1 Joy Simon (Remuera), and Loloma Kay (Ponsonby), 74, equal 2 Disappointment was expressed by the judge, as the majority of the competitors bent the knees and required practice in point work. She was also disappointed with the music. TODAY’S RESULTS GOOD WORK IN CHILDREN’S CLASSES

With character dance (9 and under 12), skipping dance (13 to 16), song in character (under 12), pianoforte duet (under 12), modern popular song (under 16). some good children’s classes were heard this morning. In the adult classes, violin solo (16 to IS), humorous recital, sacred song (soprano or mezzo), men's test recitation, and oratorio solo (tenor), a number of very enjoyable efforts were also heard.

Referring to the vocal work, the judge, Mr. Lance Craig, this morning emphasised upon the children the necessity of avoiding what he termed

• scooping,” a habit which, he said, was learned from bad gramophone records. Ho asked them to take their notes cleanly and not “scoop” up to them or “slide’ over them. It was a very pernicious habit, he remarked. Results were: CHARACTER DANCE (9 and under 12), Recalled: Elva Rae Parr, Joyce Clarke. Edendale, Joan Templeton. Ellerslie. SKIPPING DANCE * (13 to 16). Recalled: Edna Tullett, Mount Roskiil, Joy Simon, Remuera. SONG IN CHARACTER (Under 12). Recalled: Doreen Atkins. Remuera. Jovoe Howland. Northcotc, Patricia Boyle, Herne Bay. Highly Commended: Fred Harvey, Northcotc. PIANOFORTE DUET (Under 12) Recalled: Hazel McOhesney and Joan Philpott. Edna Rainey and Lorna Frith. Nancy Herring and Joan Plant. MODERN POPULAR SONG (Under 16) Recalled: Rena Geddes. Mount Eden: Desmond Casey. Birkdale; Kathleen Bovlc. Herne Bay; N. June Morris. Epsom. Highly commended: Frances Dawson, Edna Lorigan and Jean Greenwood. VIOLIN SOLO “Hungarian Dance” (Brahms-Hubav) (16 to 18) Miss Moya Cooper-Smith, St. St. Heliers, 86 points 1