MUSIC—OR NOISE?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 6, Issue 137, 6 February 1942, Page 13

MUSIC—OR NOISE?

The Controversy About "Swing" Gets On The Air

URING a recent discussion, Michael Forlong, of the 2ZB announcing staff, who isor was then-a partisan of the "non-swing " band, came up against the very definite "swing" ideas of Henry Woolf. This discussion has broadened out into the 10 o'clock Monday evening session from 2ZB, Introduction to Swing, which is already causing considerable comment, and may or may not be making a number of converts. The originators of the session thought it would be a good idea .to -bring their arguments ‘before the 2ZB listeners so that they, too, could help decide the future of "swing." Henry Woolf is a gold medallist for the piano-accordion and a silver medallist for the guitar. He was for a time engaged in professional music, and has had experience playing in many dance bands in London. When "swing "-or "hot" music as it was then called-first began to capture the public imagination, he was instrumental in forming one of the first rhythm clubs in London. He has made a special study of "swing" music, and believes that the future of music in general is inevitably ound up with it. On the other side of the argument is Michael Forlong, who believes, or used to believe, anyway, that " swing " is not music, but noise~-a succession of noises which jar on the ear and nerves He already admits, however, that there may be more to it than he realised, and he now feels that modern swing composers are developing elaborate arrangements around simple themes in much the same way as many of the great classical composers developed their ideas. But some of them, he saysand he can be very positive on the sub-ject-derive their inspiration from darkest Africa.

"Introduction to Swing" is heard from 2ZB each Monday evening at 10 o'clock. A photograph of Henry Woolf and Michael Forlong appears on page 21,