COMPOSERS' CONTEST WINNERS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 929, 31 May 1957, Page 9

COMPOSERS' CONTEST WINNERS

‘THE results of the first joint APRANZBS Composers’ Competition have been announced. Winner of the ballad for solo voice is Mrs Dorothy Freed, a music student of Wellington. Winner of the work for solo pianoforte is David Farquhar, lecturer in Music at Victoria University College. No prize has been awarded in the section for brass bands. In all, 95 entries were submitted in the ballad section, 36 in the piano and nine in the brass band. In commenting on his decision not to award a prize for brass band, the judge of that section, Dr Charles Nalden, Professor of Music at Auckland University College, said: "I regret to say that I am unable to recommend any of the nine entries submitted for a prize. Of these nine, only two merited really close scrutiny. . . While the two works were more worthwhile than the other seven, here again their actual musical worth precludes me from be-

lieving that either would add anything to the credit of band music." Mrs Freed, who is studying music at Victoria University College, has previously written music for dramatic productions in Wellington. David Farquhar is a well-known young New Zealand composer, among his compositions being music for productions of the New Zealand Players. A. E. Rolfe, Attorney for APRA in New Zealand, said: "The result has been a happy one in that once again an APRA contest has resulted in the discovery of a new composer-as happened in 1953 when Leslie Jordan won the Art Song Section in competition with composers from Australia."" Mr Rolfe also expressed appreciation of thé way in which APRA and the NZBS had been able to work together. Later this year a further competition will be held for a full orchestral work, an art song cycle with New Zealand lyrics, and a light orchestral composition.