1YA IMPRESSED HIM

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 83, 24 January 1941, Page 8

1YA IMPRESSED HIM

Sefton Daly On The Tour

SEFTON DALY, the young New Zealand pianist, who has been Noel Coward’s accompanist during his Australian and New Zealand tours, was most impressed by the studio appointments at 1YA when he visited the station on the occasion of Mr. Coward’s first broadcast talk to New Zealanders. "TI was not in a studio anywhere in Australia which could compare with this," he said, Like most who come into close personal contact with Noel Coward, Mr. Daly was impressed both by the Englishman’s capabilities and by the charm of his manner. "He knows what he wants from his accompanist and I have found him very easy to work with. He has an extraordinary sense of harmony and he has also the gift of perfect pitch-of knowing at once in what key any particular piece is being played." He added that Mr. Coward was himself an accomplished light pianist-as well as actor, author, producer, designer,

short story writer and so on. He confined his. playing entirely to light music,; to which his technique was admirably suited, but he also appreciated more serious work, Speaking of the Australien tour, Mr. Daly said that it was an outstanding success from start to finish. It was difficult to recall any highlights, since it had been highlighted all the way, but he would not readily forget his first appearance as accompanist when the tour opened in the Melbourne Town Hall. "There were over three thousand people packed into the building." he said, "They were almost hanging from the chandeliers. Frankly, I don’t know how I managed to thread my way, with my knees shaking, through the stands of the orchestra to the piano. But I got there." Melbourne had given Noel Bowen a tremendous reception and it was repeated in every centre in which he appeared.