Around The Nationals

New Zealand Listener, Volume 5, Issue 112, 15 August 1941, Page 24

Around The Nationals

sk last item sung from 3YA last Monday night (August 11), by Jean Scrimshaw, was an Australian composition which, to our knowledge, was not before then known in New Zealand to any extent. Miss Scrimshaw received her copy of "Guide Them, O Lord" from Australia, where it was composed with @ dedication to the fighting forces. ae By By *T HERLE OSWIN is the pianist among : the three featured local artists in 2YA’s studio recital during the evening programme for Monday, August 18. Three years ago, Miss Oswin returned from London after four years studying the piano at the Royal Academy of Music. She has been heard frequently from 2YA as a soloist and, during the past year, with Vivien Dixon mainly in sonata work. When she was in London, she often played for the BBC, generally in Empire programmes directed to Australia and New Zealand. Ey By * IVIEN DIXON is an even more recent arrival than Therle Oswin, and will play in the same programme, from 2YA on Monday evening, August 18. She came out to New Zealand from England at the beginning of last year. Her father taught her the violin until she was 14 (she had studied it since the age of five years), and later she studied in London with Maurice Clare. When Maurice Clare left England, she codntinued her studies, under Albert Sammons, famous English violinist and teacher. In 1937, she was the soloist with the Folkestone Municipal Orchestra, when they gave the first performance in Folkestone of W. H. Reid’s violin concerto. The composer was the conductor on this occasion. When she came to New Zealand, she*toured with the Centennial Orchestra, and is at present playing in the NBS String Orchestra. ae %* * Much as we dislike having to say this of a lady featured in the pro grammes of so reputable a station as 1YA, Berenice was a little careless in her matrimonial affairs. She married, first of all, her father’s brother. When he died, she married again, and then deserted her second husband to take the role of mistress to anothér man. From him, too, she became separated, this time because public opinion would no longer tolerate her flightiness. Berenice. fortunately, will not be able to institute proceedings against us for telling these facts about her. She was the daughter of Herod Agrippa, King of Judea. Station 1YA comes into this old story by way of Handel, who composed the opera Berenice. This is one of many composed d the same story, but Handel’s version survives mainly because of such odd bits as the overture, which 1YA will broadcast at 7.30 p.m. on Friday, August 22, as played by Sir Henry Wood and the Queen’s Hall Orchestra. This and the minuet, etc., are still firm favourites,