You Asked For It

New Zealand Listener, Volume 1, Issue 4, 21 July 1939, Page 12

You Asked For It

the 3,000 letters received by 2YD, Wellington, for the " Listeners’ Own," or, as it is now called, the " You Asked for It" session, one fact plainly emerges: the largest section of this listening public likes plain middle-brow music. of. possible conclusions to be drawn from This may or may not be an indication of listening taste. The programmes given over the air are reproduced almost exactly as listeners send them in, so they are at least a true indication of the radio tastes of those people who will go to the trouble of making programmes for themselves and submitting them. The work is representative of different tastes, but sufficiently within limits to be grouped under the general heading of Music without Smiles. Humour is strangely lacking. If the words above and below may be used without prejudice, these listeners are not below asking for classical music and not above asking for a sentimental song or two. The session had its anniversary last month. This week you will hear it for the 56th time under the new title of " You Asked for It." It was an experiment 12 months ago. For a year it has been a success. As many as 20 letters come in for it every day. These are carefully sifted and the four or five best are selected for the weekly broadcast. Very little is done to them. It is necessary to be sure that they are correctly timed, and occasionally a suggested record is not available; but there

is absolutely no "faking." If listeners themselves did not supply the programmes there would be no session. Surprising talent is displayed in the creation of themes and in the selection of records to build the music round them. Some are scrappy, but most are obviously the result of careful thought and planning. The standard has risen consistently as the session has grown, Listeners are now annotating their programmes much more thoroughly and linking selected pieces with commentary which ‘is usually apt and neatly phrased. With the improvement in method has come an improvement in taste. "Hot" music attracts as little attention as humorous sketches. Gladys Moncrieff and Jean Macfarlane out-vote the Boswell Sisters by 100 to 1. Formby turns up about once a month, but Tauber, Tibbett and Nelson Eddy come in every day. A good concert orchestra or a military band has 10 chances to one" against Duke Ellington. Symphony music does not get much chance, but there is some demand for chamber music. Popular operatic extracts and classical melodies are almost favourites. The word "melody" is important. Listeners will ask for anything if it has melody in it. Few of them like music which has to be " interpreted," or any sort of impressionism. They prefer music which tickles them, or soothes them, or gives them little shivers up and down their backbones; but they definitely do not like music which puzzles them.