HIS MASTER’S VOICE.

Shannon News, 22 October 1929, Page 3

HIS MASTER’S VOICE.

A Coming of Age. \ln July, 1908, the Gramophone Company or to give it its colloquial name, the H.M.Y. Company, made its tirst records tor issue to tlie public. The out put was 700 records a week, and some idea of the growth of this remarkable company, whose trade mark must surely be the best known in the 'world, can be gained from the fact that the ordinary weekly output of records is now nearly half-a-million, and that this figure is doubled at busy times. The company has just celebrated its 21 st birthday, and all niusic lovers will join in the congratulations and good wishes that have been showered on it i non ati over the world. Building operations for the Gramophone Company’s factory at Haves, Middlesex, began in February, 3907, and on 13th May, 1907, Madame ‘Melba laid the corner-stone of the record factory. The factories now cover sixty acres and land has been acquired for important factory extensions which, v.her. finished, will mean <■:> acres of buildings. In 1008 the output was some 700 records a week and now nearlv half-a-million records a week are produced under normal conditions, with nearly twice this number at busy times. Shellac, costing £2OO .a ton, is the principal of six ingredients which go to make the material for records; 15,000 tons of this material are used annually. For labour-saving purposes automatic conveyers travel - over 200 miles a day carrying records from one department to another. The intricacies of tlie internal mechanism of His Master's Voice gramophone may be estimated from the fact that in the automatic machine, which plays and changes twenty records without any attention, there are nearly 000 parts, every one manufactured from run metals at Haves. Four hundred tons of raw material arc used every w cek to meet the demands made on the company by the public. French for the English.

A practical course for learning to speak French with the aid of the gramophone has been compiled by M. E. M. Stephen, senior lecturer in French, University College, London, Daniel Jones, cf Loudon University. This course of .study consists of fifteen double-sided records, a text-book, and key-book. It has been the aim of the compilers to enable English people to learn to speak French and to understand French when spoken. The course takes one from the elementary stage to tlie advanced with a completeness of detail that makes 'it absolutely _ selfcontained, and is particularly designed for those who have to learn and speak French without a teacher. Of the course the flight Hon. C. A. McCurdy wrote: "I have no doubt that a resolute studv of these thirty lessons, spread over three or six months, will prove more fruitful 'than double _or treble the time spent in learning French in any other way." (11.M.V.)

"La Marseillaise." There are few more inspiring band performances than that of the "Marseillaise "by La Garde Eepublieame, whiehus the*most famous military band in all France. One feels that the musicians are stirred by their own playing and one catches the real .spirit of this preat national song. The record is worth while, for the "Marseillaise" alone, but there is also a splendid rendering of the fine "Marehe Lom.ine" on the . other side. Here again the French temperament is evident. (II.M. V., 82907). At the Carillon. People Who are -ooking forward to hearing Wellington's already famous carillon will 110 "doubt be interested i<' having a foretaste of this kind of music°as played by W. E. Jordan, the borough ean'lloneur of the Loughborough War Memorial Carillon. Mr Jordan's records include "Country Dance"' (Newtoui.),. "Fantasia on Popular Hongs," and "Spring Song" (Mendelssohn). There :s an appealing quality and puritv of tone about these records. —(U.M.Y.. B2';S3-2087).

A Debussy Nocturne. Debussv's Nocturne No. 2--."Fetes" as recorded by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski reveals beautiful passages played with the utmost delLrney. The gossamer like notes remind one of Tennyson's lines, "There is a music, here that softer falls than petals of blown roses on the grass." (H.M.V., E 507.) Past Popular Hits in Medley.

Ihe Coldstream Guards Band under Lieutenant 11. G. Evans presents a series of snatches of old melodies from half-forgotten "hits" like "Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay," national ballads like 'Annie Laurie," and operatic selections such as "On 'With the* Motley," cleverly strung together. The transition from one to the other is often hard to detect, and it is an 'additional enjoyment endeavouiing to anticipate the composer. (H.M.V., C 1580). As Rachmaninoff Plays.

When you hear Rachmaninoff's name mentioned, you immediately think of his "C Sharp Minor Prelude" This record enables you to near the great composer himself plav his famous "Prelude." (11.M.V. DA996). On the reverse side is Mendelssohn's "Bees' Wedding."