THE GRAMAPHONE.

Shannon News, 9 August 1929, Page 3

THE GRAMAPHONE.

RECENT RECORDS. A Great London Humorist. S The Fourth Form at St. Michael’s (Will Hay). Comedy Sketch by Will Hay and his Scholars.. Columbia 02852. “Will Hay’’ oh the boards ot a London Music Hall means a packed house and now that he has made his first record he will inevitably join the ranks of “best sellers’’ in that sphere, too. It is surprising how much of his richly comic personality “comes across’’ in recording. The record is full to the brim of capital jokes, broad and subtle humour and witty 'repartee, and will be heartily enjoyed by anyone who is not afraid to lose a few buttons in a hearty laugh. Recording is excellent in every respect. A Mendelssohn Pot-Pourri.

Memories of Mendelssohn. Played by the J. H. Squire Celeste Octet! Columbia 02838.

The Squire Octet, who gave us ‘ ‘ Memories of Tchaikowsky ’ ’ a month or two back, now carry on the series with a Mendelssohn “lucky-dip.” This is obviously a sort of souvenir for lovers of Mendelssohn, and does not break any fresh ground. All the tunes have been familiarised for us by Concert Hall and Band playing. The selection, played with singular sweetness of tone and clever instrumentation, includes: Part I—-March Funcbre; Song Without Words; Duetto; Rondo Capriccioso. Part 2 —The Bees’ Wedding; Andante from Violin Concerto; Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream; Finale from Pianoforte Concerto in G.

The Marches of the Guards. Regimental Marches of the Brigade of Guards. Played by the Band of H.M. Grenadier Guards. Columbia 02851, Everybody loves a good military band record —and the Grenadiers are famous for their inspiring efforts in this direction. But here they have excelled themselves. Put this record on in any company, highbrow or lowbrow, and watch it take effect in stiffened shoulders and head thrown back. They give us a selection of the famous marches of the Brigade of Guards, and play with a steady irresistible rhythm. YJu know the tunes by heart—and will like this record all the better for that. A Musicianly Singer. (1) “Sea Wrack”; (2) “There Reigned a Monarch in Thule” (Liszt). Sung by Muriel Brunskill, Contralto. Columbia 02830. Wliat is so good about Murick Brunskill, besides the quality of her voice, is that she has musicianship which is found in good instrumentalists but few singers, especially sopranos and contraltos. That varying volume of tone, which means so much, seems to come naturally to her. “Sea Wrack,” _ by Sir Hamilton Harty, is justly fairly well known, and there could hardly be a better recording of it. Liszt’s “There Reigned a Monarch in Thule” (sung to Bernhoff’s English version) is well worth knowing—it is distinctly one of his better things.

Bach at His Best. “Concerto in D Minor 'for two strings” (Bach). Alma RosengrenWitek, Anton Witek and String Orcrestra. Celumbia 02845-47. Here is a new recording by two upstanding fiddlers of the splendid double Concerto in D Minor. The soloists contrive with apparent ease the most difficult task presented to them —they keep the work big and strong, and while being mostly concerned with its broad outlines 'contrive to regale us with neat competent and intelligent playing. The general sway and controi of the music is powerful and praiseworthy, and the energy and phrasing are admirable. A certain auther has said of this work that it was mathematically pre-ordained from the first note. Certainly its construction holds one breathless with its flawless beauty, the wonderful balance, and the ebb and flow of mastery contrivance. A Wonderful Male Voice Choir.

(1) “Die Nacht” (Schubert); (2) “Der Tanz'’ (Schubert). Sung by Wiener Schubertbund and the Vienna State Opera Orchestra. Columbia 02836.

Though Schubert was not at his very greatest in choral music, these two examples are so far the best of his experiments with this form that they are tit to rank with his other work. Both have melodious tunes in the true Schubertian vein, while the performance is distinguished for all-round excellence, with particularly nice balance, one is reminded again that England is still the leading nation in this respect. “Der Tanz” has a certain rowdy jollity that pleases greatly, but “Die Nacht” is not overclear and is inclined to a meretricious “stuntiness. ” Famous Voices Preserved.

The trustees of the British Museum have accepted from the Gramophone Company an H.M.V. record of a speech by the Earl of Balfour, 0.M., which has been deposited to be preserved for all time in the national archives. The remarks of the former Prime Minister are the concluding paragraphs of a lecture entitled “Familiar Beliefs and Transcendent Besson,” delivered by him to the British Academy, in November, 1927. Among other H.M.V. records of “famous voices” similarly preserved, are those of the King, the Queen, the Prince of Wales, Lord Roberts, Mr Lloyd George, Sir Ernest Shackleton, the Earl of Oxford and Asquith, Mr Winston Churchill, Caruso, Mme. Tetrazzini, Dame Melba, and Chaliapin. Great Tenor. John McCormack, the great tener,

has recorded “Kathleen Mavourneen.” Many artful little effects are introduced into this later version, but it still retains “the wild freshness of morning. 5 No one 'has ever sung this song so well. On the other side, McCormack gives another eternal favourite, “Love's Old Sweet Song;,” and in regard to the number it is interesting to note the remarks of a critic of the “Daily Mirror,” London, on a recent McCormack concert: “Few singers can hold an Albert Hall audience spellbound with “Love’s Old Sweet Song.” John McCormack did so yesterday, and his triumph was a tribute to Bis marvellously flexible voice, and to his power of expressing sincere sentiment.” (H.M.V. DB 1200).