Dancing, singing, reciting, acting

STRAWBERRY GIRL: Enjoying dancing in the strawberry patch with the time to try one is Anais Brodie, competing in the demi-character under eight section, in last year’s Festival of Talent. The 2018 festival marks 100 years since ‘the Comps’ began. File picture

As the Gisborne Competitions Society Festival of Talent dances, sings, plays, acts and talks its way to the 100th event, the competition’s adjudicators wait in the wings.

Generally known as the Comps, the festival of talent includes dance disciplines ballet, tap, Highland and modern; speech and drama, and music. And now it’s time to meet two of the adjudicators.

Music — Susan Melville

Freelance musician Susan Melville of Havelock North studied zoology at Canterbury University while learning piano and taking chamber music coaching from Czech Quartet musicians. As a violist Melville played in the NZ National Youth Orchestra and the Christchurch Civic Orchestra. She was also a string teacher at the Christchurch School of Music.

She has trained, taught and performed overseas and back in New Zealand was guest artist with internationally acclaimed saxophone ensemble Saxcess.

Last month, Melville conducted Beethoven’s Mass in C with Gisborne and Hastings’ combined choral societies, accompanied by Hawke’s Bay Youth Orchestra members and Gisborne instrumentalists.

Other collaborations in Gisborne include adjudication for the Gisborne Competitions Society and chamber music contest, a recital with tenor Keith Lewis, and the 2005 production of Norma.

Speech — Glenda Pearce

As director of a speech and drama practice in Auckland Pearce teaches students in communication arts, public speaking and dramatic arts. As a playwright, her work Landing in Imagination was performed by ACG Parnell this month.

Pearce is on the national executive of the Speech Communication Association, with a portfolio of responsibility for maintaining the standard of the adjudication for regional performing arts festivals and speech competitions in New Zealand. National awards and scholarships bestowed on Pearce include two Deirdre Snedden Scholarships, the most recent of which was to study at the Globe in London.

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