Virtuosity

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 391, 20 December 1946, Page 10

Virtuosity

HE announcer who covers a_broadcast concert performance often needs to be an artist in his own right. The studio clock strikes eight, and we pass over to the Town Hall, this time to hear the Combined Anglican Choirs presenting a programme of Christmas Carols. But at eight o’clock precisely the Combined Choirs are, we presume, still being marshalled in the outside corridor for their processional "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," and the on-time (as opposed to the early) arrivers are still being drafted to their seats. Since silence, on the air, is not considered golden, the announcer steps glibly into the role of chorus-he records the appearance of the hall, the reactions of the audience, the fact that the organist is now seated. Still no opening chord, so that urbane voice obliges with a short dissertation on the origin of the word "carol," and a fact or two about the future activities of the conductor. Then zero hour, and with an abrupt switch from urbanity to something deeper the announcer speaks the words of the dedication, splendidly written and deeply moving. Thereafter the announcer must confine himself to intimations of the "You have just heard .. ." variety; but let us hope that throughout his period of duty he is buoyed up not only by

the delightfulness of the performance at which he officiates, but also by the knowledge that when the hour struck he was not found wanting.