THE ELOCUTIONIST

Shannon News, 25 November 1927, Page 4

THE ELOCUTIONIST

DIFFICULT TO BROADCAST. If there is one word that causes a broadcasting manager’s heart to sink, it is “elocutionist.” The unsuspecting individual who comes into the studio, and offers to give a recitation on the air, little knows what extremely thin ice on which he, in his ignorance of the, technicalities of radio, blunders. The air still has its limitations, despite the remarkable strides which have been made, ‘ and humble recitation is the least attractive of the hundred and one diversities offered. When wc have television this will be overcome to a very large extent, but there is still the difficulty of what is known as 11 frequencies ’ ’ in the human voice to contend with. The rise and fall of ordinary conversation is as natural as it is necessary; without it, the monotony would be intolerable. And this is the elocutionist’s downfall on the air. His listeners cannot see him, and consequently the force of action is lost. He has, therefore, to obtain effect through the inflection in his voice/ and this is drastically curtailed. It takes an artist of more than prdinory ability to rise paramount above all these difficulties.