Mexborough and Swinton Times January 27, 1928

Goldthorpe Musical Festival
The First Syllabus
Elocution Encouraged

The executive committee of the Goldthorpe and District Competitive Musical Festival have issued a  very interesting syllabus for the first of these festivals, which is due to take place on Saturday, May 26th., and Monday – (Whit-Monday), May 28th.

There are 25 classes, 12 of which are to be dealt with on the Saturday.

The whole of the Saturday competitions are for children, and on Monday the open classes are taken. On the Saturday there are two gold medal challenge classes, and one on Monday. There are in all four classes in elocution, three for children and one open; there are three pianoforte classes for juniors and one open; two choral classes for juniors (one local and one open), and in the open section classes for male voice and mixed voice choirs and-church or chapel choirs.

The rest of the classes are devoted to vocal solos, junior and open, and it will be seen from the list of test pieces that the works of British composers are used almost exclusively.

The president of the festival is Lord Halifax, the chairman of the executive committee the Rev. H. Howard, vicar of Goldthorpe, the director of the competition Mr A. E. Hall, the secretary, Mr. J. Stanley Large end the appointed adjudicator Mr. S. Ward-Casey, of Doncaster

The following is a list of the test pieces :

Boys’ Treble Solo (open: ” Youth ” (Franc Allitson).

Girls’ Treble Solo (under 13): ” The Passing of the Moon ” (Purcell).

Girls’ Treble Solo (under 16): ” The Fairy Pipers ” (McIver).

Junior Elocution (under!. 11): ” Sea Fever ” (John Masefield).

Junior Elocution <under 14): “A Faery Song” (Madeleine Nightingale).

Junior Elocution (under 16): ” In Mercer Street” (Seumas O’Sullivan). A

Pianoforte Solo (under 12): “Pigauden’ (T. F. Dunhill).

Pianoforte Solo (under 15): ” Toccatina” (Cuthbert Harris).

Pianoforte Solo (under 18): “Moto Perpetuo ” (Felix Swinstead).

Juvenile choirs (open to choirs from Goldthorpe. Bolton, Thurnscoe, Wath, Mexborough, Swinton, Barnburgh, and Hickleton) : ” Dame Hickory ” (Gibbs), and “Derry Vale” (arr. MacNaught).

MONDAY.

Elocution (open): ” Ducks ” (F. W. Harvey).

Pianoforte Solo (open) ” Autumn ” (Chaminade)

Soprano or Mezzo-soprano Solo (open)! ” The Flutes of Arcady ” (W. G. James.

Contralto Solo -(open): “The Shepherd’s Cradle Song ” (Arthur Somervell).

Tenor Soto (open): ” The Sun God ” (W. G. James).

Bass or Baritone Solo (open): “The Song o Hybrias the Cretan” (J. W. Elliott).

Vocal Duet (any two voice) : Own choice.

Juvenile Choirs (open): “A Madrigal of Spring ” (P E Fletcher), and ” The Fairy Revels” (Dicks).

Male Voice Quartets (open): ” The sea hath its pearls ‘ (Pinsuti), and own selection. A

Male Voles Choirs (not more than 45 voices): “Hunting Song” (Granville Bantock) and ” Music when soft voices die” (S. Ward-Casey).

Mixed Voice Choirs (open)  “Come let us loin the roundelay ” (Beale) and ” How beautiful this Night’ (P. E. Fletcher).

Church or Chapel Choirs (open): “Adieu, sweet Amarillis (John Wilbye, 1588), and “Send out Thy light ” (Gounod).

The syllabus is now available to intending competitors, and is obtainable from the secretarv, Mr. J. Stanley Large, 169, Doncaster Road, Goldthorpe.