NEWS FROM THE ZB STATIONS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 47, 17 May 1940, Page 46

NEWS FROM THE ZB STATIONS

VERY morning at seven o'clock the other week at 1ZB Gran played request records for mothers only. This was a tribute from 1ZB to the day devoted to mothers. A remarkable variety of records was asked for, showing a surprising range of tastes. No doubt many breakfasts were late that week as mothers listened intently to Gran’s friendly voice announcing their pet tunes. Gran was heard on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, from 1ZB at 3 p.m. in a special session in honour of the occasion. The Musical Army Recently a group of twenty-one boys, very smartly uniformed, presented a thoroughly delightful page in 2ZB’s Young New Zealand Radio Journal. The boys were representatives of "The Musical Army," of 3ZB, Christchurch. There, the Musical Army is some hundreds strong and has attained a high degree of efficiency. The boys play under the conductorship of " Jacko" of 3ZB. They were in Wellington ptimarily to see the Exhibition, and like many similar groups of children who visited Wellington in the past few months, they had to contrive among themselves ways and means of raising funds for the great adventure. One good old stand-by which has been thoroughly exploited by many members of "’ The Musical Army of 3ZB" is the collection and sale of bottles. One member of the Army owed his presence at the Exhibition to the self-sacrifice of his mother. Determined that the lad should make the trip, and not having the wherewithal to finance it, mother sold the sideboard. The billeting of the boys was the final obstacle to be overcome. Accordingly, Bryan made an appeal during the Children’s Session at 2ZB. and within a few minutes every boy had been provided for.

Orphans Entertained On a Tuesday afternoon fecefitly, the orphans and crippled children from Wellington were the guests of 2ZB, and the management of the St. James’ Theatre at a matinee performance of the film " The Starmaker." The fourteen-year-old girl playing the lead in the film is an orphan in actual fact. It was felt by the St. James’ Theatre management and 2ZB that the opportunity of allowing the orphan children of Wellington to see this film was, under the circum-

stances, too good to miss. Accordingly motor transport was arranged, and some seven hundred orphaned and crippled children assembled at the theatre. They were given chocolates and ice cream preparatory to a community sing conducted by Bryan, Lady Gay, and Reg. Morgan. Each child also received a rosy apple.

The community sing was broadcast and the lusty singing of the happy children was one of the broadcasting highlights of the weck. At the sing Bryan announced that a contest was to be held among the orphanage children. 2ZB’s sound truck was to visit each orphanage in turn and record three of the best items from individual children. These were to be broadcast during the week in 2ZB’s Children’s Session. The winner would be given a bound book and a sum of money to open an account. The contest should be of great interest. Peter’s Monologues Peter Dawson, long known in Dunedin as the conductor of the 4ZB Breakfast Session and Children’s Session. recently had a few weeks’ spell from early rising

and proceeded to make his mark on the late evening programmes from that station. On several occasions Peter supplied listeners with a rather unusual brand of radio fare. With suitable dramatic background music, he gave vent to his histrionic ability in a series of monologues, sometimes blood curdling and sometimes full of pathos. His " piéce de resistance" was without doubt the "Pigtail of Li Fang Fu," and_it seems that Peter’s fans will give him no rest until he regales them with a repeat performance. Maori Programme One of the best-loved Maori personalities in the Dominion is possibly Anna Hato, the Maori songstress from Rotorua. Her records have been famous for quite a long time. Another great Maori artist and tadio personality is Oriwa, whose sessions from all of the Commercial Service stations are still remembered. Put these two great artists together on one session and you have a presentation of Maori art that would be hard to beat. To 2ZA goes the honour of bringing these two together before the microphone. They were the feature artists in a special Maori progtamme from the Palmerston North station.

Oriwa’s story was written with the true Oriwa touch, and it built the scene for Anna’s beautiful singing. The soft plaintive tones of her mellow voice were equally captivating in the slower Maori melodies as they were in the lilting strains of her action songs. There were many congratulatory telephone rings to the artists and to the station for the presentations, and it is to be hoped that before long it will be possible to feature them again. " Melody Flight " There is no doubt that occasional " flesh and blood" performances over the air have a stimulating effect on any station’s programme arrangements. The "Melody Cruise," " Melody Express," and " Melody Flight" series which have been prominently featured by Station 4ZB, have showed themselves to be well worth the effort involved. The latest edition of "Melody Flight," first presented on a recent Sunday afternoon, scored such a success that the station authorities had to adopt the: unusual procedure of repeating the entire performance on the following Sunday evening.

4ZB Concert Party The 4ZB Concert Party has always been in strong demand to assist at concerts held in Dunedin, and in these days of patriotic appeals the members of this party find that the number of requests for their services has become positively overwhelming. So far, however, very few applications for their help have had to be refused. The most recent success of the party was scored at an entertainment at Broad Bay. As a result, a very creditable amount was forwarded to the local Patriotic Fund. Best Dressed Man The mystery surrounding the identity of the alleged "best dressed man in Dunedin" attracted a full house to the St. James’ Theatre at noon recently for the sixth 4ZB Patriotic Sing. Some of the costumes worn by the various contestants were weird and wonderful, and in addition to the more or less conventional costumes, several chatacter costumes were included in the parade. Among the characters were Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler, who inevitably came to blows and fought a spirited quel, Neville’s umbrella proving more than a match for Hitler’s sawtoothed sabre. Other characters in the parade were the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow, from the Land of Oz. The star exhibit in the best dressed man competition was a fully-clothed tailors dummy. From the financial point of view, as well as from all others, the sing was an undoubted success, the total being in excess of £80.