BASQUE CHILDREN SING IN LONDON STUDIOS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 205, 15 September 1937, Page 11

BASQUE CHILDREN SING IN LONDON STUDIOS

One of the many sehemes put forward recently to help swell gpanish relief fnnds in England was that a choir of refugjse children should be selected to sing some of their melodious Basque songs for the gramophone. Many of these children have beautiful voices. and it was felt that records of their songs would doubtless sell very well. There were many voice tests made at the camp near Southampton, and when the 50 had been chosen numerous rehearsals were held in one of the big marquees. When the ohildren's musical director decided that his choir was nearing perfection, arrangements were made with ihe Jeadinq recording studios of one of the leading gramQphone companies,, and a short period later saw the girls and boys being brought up to London by bus for their musical debut. A visitor who was present at the studios d^scribes the arrival of the choir, shepherded by a kindly priest, who explained carefully to the children that the songs they were to sing would possibl.y be lieard by thousands, and that they must do their very best. The little ones were a trifle awed by their responsibility and produeingj penny notebooks in which they had written the words of their songs, hastily refreshed .their memories. The liuge room, in which, they learned, some of the greatest singers .and musicinns in the world had made records, impressed them, too. A trial song was sung, then a, buzzer soun'ded, a red light glowed, and the recording began. Later, other songs were tested, recorded, repeated, until nearly thrco hours liad passed. But so far from being tired out by their afternoon's work, the child- ! ren seemed extremely fresh and deliglited ■ with the prospect oi tea and their first glimpse of the bi^ city. Visitors who have heard s6me of the Basque children sing - at their camp were extremely impressed not only with the beauty of their songs, but with the poignant wistfulness with which they sang them. Working and playing, the girls and boys seem on the whole, in good spirits, but when they sing there is in their voices much more than a hint of the sorrow they have known in the last few. months.