Miss Airini Grennell On Christchurch TV

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 2

Miss Airini Grennell On Christchurch TV

The first interviewer on television in Christchurch is Miss Airini Grennell, of 3YA, who appeared before a large city audience of viewers last evening with the celebrated negro baritone, Todd Duncan. Miss Grennell first heard of her part in the programme yesterday afternoon and had no chance to rehearse the talk with Mr Duncan. It was a new experience for her because she had previously appeared on television overseas as a guest—never as an interviewer.

“I kept telling myself to keep my hands still," she said. "I always wave them about when I am talking, even when reading a script in front of a microphone.” Miss Grennell and Mr Duncan had 15 minutes to discuss the questions before they faced the cameras. Neither needed any special makeup because their dark skins were right for television as they were. "After talking to Mr Duncan for a while, I became so absorbed in the conversation that I almost forgot about the cameras,” she said. “When you are interviewing. I discovered, you have little time for thoughts about yourself. There is, however, more of a strain when you are faced with cameras than when you have only a microphone in front of you.” JOINED 22 YEARS AGO Miss Grennell joined the Broadcasting Service one year after the commercial division started in Dunedin, 23 years ago. She is a qualified music teacher and was a member of the programmes department when the staff also took part in radio revues, musical shows and plays in their spare time. Miss Grennell was often accompanist for these. Shortly after the outbreak of World War IL she was accompanying in a radio revue which raised £5OO for the Patriotic Council in Dunedin. Later she took part in a radio queen carnival, also to raise funds, and undertook a large amount of travelling to country districts where community singing was recorded for use in programmes connected with the carnival. Before she joined the

N.Z.B.S. Miss Grennell had toured Australia and the United Kingdom with a Maori choir. This choir was composed af amateurs and their average age was 22 years. They were asked to sing for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, now the Queen Mother, at Buckingham Palace. The ehoir was sponsored by the Methodist Home and Maori Mission. PRIVATE LIFE In private life. Miss Grennell is Mrs Rudolph Gopas, wife of a well-known portrait artist and lecturer at the Canterbury University School of Art She likes to play golf for recreation and enjoys cooking both European and New Zealand dishes. She made a collection of recipes of foods she enjoyed when she was overseas. Her only regret is that her career and other activities do not leave enough time to try all the exotic dishes she would like. Television does not hold any special glamour for Miss Grennell. She says she is very glad of having had the opportunity to interview Mr Duncan, but does not mind if that medium is not hers "I have enjoyed my radio work so much I would hate to leave it," she said. ”1 also enjoyed television though I have no great ambition to appear on it all the time I shall look back on this appearance with pleasure if I do not have another opportunity If I do, I know I will look forward to the programme with great interest.” At present Miss Grenneli has another absorbing side to her radio job. She has arranged many programmes of Maori music and culture

for the N.Z.B.S. and Radio New Zealand. She is keenly interested in Maori music and counts this as one of the most interesting aspects of her work.