Please Explain

NZ Truth, Issue 1141, 13 October 1927, Page 2

Please Explain

TO what school do those composers belong who write rollicking songs of the sea which are mostly sung by the chorus or a feeble ballet of six? You know the kind. "Yo-ho-ho! Tinga-linga-le. Yo-ho." Likewise the mirthful (?) ditties sung by yokels outside the village inn, "Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!" (followed by the motions of drinking from empty tankards). Then there are the vaudeville songs — soulful lays of "Silver lining," "brighter days," "winding tracks" and "dear old mother's hair." Wonderful stuff. But who is the perpetrating genius? Now m songs like "Gee! I'm goin' back to Dixie. Gee! but I am. Gee! but I am!" and "When the spearmint's on the bedpost its night-time way back home," the composer puts his name and photograph on the title page. Is it modesty on the part of chorus writers? Please explain. * •# * Listening-in I ISTENING-IN to America the other ** Sunday morning, the announcer said he was speaking from Los Angeles. This was unnecessary because it was easy to hear the million dahler film stars saying their prayers and drinking their usual glass ?of milk before retiring. It was nice to hear them, because what with rigid censorship, divorces and black lists, Mona Vamp, Sadie Gimbleheimer, and Hunk and Junk have all been up against it lately. It was fine to hear the bathing beautiessinging the "Hallelujah Chorus" and a director shouting: "Cut out. Now we'll have a real hymn." Yes, all this stuff about the movies is just the cat's whiskers. ♦ * • Up In The Gods OOMEBODY should sing a song of 13 praise on behalf of the patrons of the gallery who display the patience of Job as they wait m a draughty queue to mount to the ceiling of the theatre. What with income tax, the H.C.L. and the high cost of pleasure, the wait for the doors to open is really worth while. But after all a seat m the stalls or dress circle is not to be sneezed at.