Items From The ZB's

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 110, 1 August 1941, Page 29

Items From The ZB's

men have come to the microphone recently to be cross-examined by "The Rep" in the Sports Quiz. The other Friday night, the subject was golf, and "The Rep." and his assistant, Maurice, faced a formidable team of contestants. They comprised A. R. Blank, an exCanterbury champion, who has supervised the lay-out of four Christchurch golf courses; Miss Valmai Fleming and Miss Zoe Hudson, two of New Zealand’s foremost women golfers, Ewan MacFarlane, who dramatically defeated Andy Shaw for the New Zealand Open title in 1925; and Jim Ward, who is the present Canterbury champion. * %* * RANK LUTHER, the American radio star who is heard in the ZB programme Pageant of Music, was at one time a professional boxer, and fought 19 bouts, of which he won 15. For two years he studied opera, but then turned to more popular music, touring European capitals and singing in night clubs. In London he gave a command performance before the Prince of Wales. In America he has sung every type of song, from hymns to comedy, for most of the important recording companies, and during a two year period recently, he made more: than 500 records, including solos with such famous dance band directors as Leo Reisman, Nat Shilkret and Phil Spitalny. His radio appearances these days are frequent, and he has sung in 20 different network commercial programmes. His hobby is the collecting and arranging of American folk music, and in what is left of his spare time he writes songs. Perhaps his biggest hit is "Barnacle Bill the Sailor." He golfs, plays a little bridge and is an accomplished performer on the piano, pipe organ, guitar and accordion, * * 7 TALENT for music frequently reveals itself early in life, and it is interesting to note that when the young Australian singer, Audrey Worrad, won an event at an Eisteddfod at the age of eight, the adjudicator said that in 10 years time ‘she might be another Melba. That was seven years ago, and while it may be too much to describe her as a second Melba, Audrey certainly has a beautiful soprano voice for a girl of 15 years. She will be the featured artist in a broadcast of The Youth Show from Station 1ZB on Wednesday, August 6, when she will sing the lovely old song "Rose Softly Blooming." In the same broadcast, Eileen Price, 17-year-old girl saxophonist, plays Fritz Kreisler’s "Schon Rosmarin"; John Faason, 19-year-old baritone, sings a special arrangement of "Pale Moon," and other artists heard are Colin Croft, Graham Wicker, Joy Nichols, Peggy McDonald, Wilma Gregory, and, of course, Robin Ordeil. The Youth Show’s clever young compére. Audrey Worrad’s picture appe7r on this page. S OME prominent Christchurch sports-