Songs For A New World

New Zealand Listener, Volume 10, Issue 253, 28 April 1944, Page 28

Songs For A New World

UST before Joseph Stalin’s 64th birthday — December 24 last — the Soviet Union dropped its stirring State Anthem, the "Internationale," and substituted a new song which no longer denies the idea of nationality. For the international sentiments of the old song have, like the Comintern, been abolished as being inappropriate to Russia’s new role. The peoples of the Soviet will sing no more Eugene Pottier’s lines: Arise, ye prisoners of starvation, Arise, yet wretched of the earth! Instead, they will sing a hymn to their new Russia, as nationalistic as any that was ever written. It is by A. Alexandrov (conductor of the Red Army Chorus) and was formerly known as the "Old Bolshevik Hymn." In 1939 it was awarded the Stalin Prize. In January the Soviet Government held a competition for translations into other languages, and the American poet Louis Untermeyer made one which was widely publicised: Through terror and darkness the sun shines to-day, For Lenin and Stalin have lighted the way; We crushed the invader, we hurled back the f oe, And our armies in triumph will sing as they go: Long may she live, our motherland, Long may her flag be over us; Flag of the Soviets, our trust and our pride, Ride through the storm victorious, Lead us to visions gloriousFlag of a people in friendship allied. Transcribed from Shortwave The Australian Broadcasting Commission procured the music of this new anthem by transcribing it from a shortwave performance (transmitted by the BEC at the request of the ABC, so that it could be played at a Russian Musical Festival. A recording was made of the shortwave broadcast, in which Sir Adrian Boult conducted the BBC Symphony

Orchestra, but the reception conditions were so unsatisfactory that the record was unsuitable for playing on the air. However, the ABC’s Director of Music (W. James) arranged for his Music Editor (W. Redstone) to transcribe from the record the melody and harmonies. The tune was checked by having a violinist play it simultaneously with the recording. Mr. Redstone then made an orchestration. "Curl the Mo, Uncle Joe" T is possible that one of the few song hits of the war has made its appearance with the publication of Jack Lumsdaine’s latest number, "Curl the Mo, Uncle Joe." Lumsdaine is a com-poser-producer, and pianist at 2GB, Sydney. The song originated in the minds of Jack Lumsdaine and Jack Hatch, a Sydney journalist, when they were investing a few shillings on a gambling device known as a flag machine. On _ this machine were three Russian flags which were paying handsomely. Sure enough, when down to their last chip, up came the Russian flags, and Jack Hatch made the remark "Curl the Mo, Uncle Joe." In Lumsdaine’s mind the remark took root as a promising title for a song, and before long it was written and published. "Curl the Mo, Uncle Joe" has already been translated into Russian, and sent through the Tass Agency to the Moscow Press. Photostat copies have been sent by airmail to America, to London publishers, and to the BBC. When asked what "curl the mo" really means, Lumsdaine said he had an idea it originated on the racecourse, and means "everything’s good," while "big twist," which is used in the chorus, means "extra good." The song was presented for the first time in New Zealand from the ZB stations on Sunday night, April 23.