Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 662, 14 March 1952, Page 17

Open Microphone

NEWS OF BROADCASTERS, ON AND OFF THE RECORD,

By

Swarf

ELLINGTON can chalk up a gain at Auckland’s expense this month. Owen Jensen, who has been close to the centre of things in many community music-making activities in the north is coming to stay in the capital. "Why am I moving to Wellington? That sounds like a trap for young players, and I’m not taking any part in the gentle art of parochial strife’ was his first reaction to an inquiry the other day. "Seriously, though," he went on, "I believe a musician needs a new stimulus, every so often if he is to keep his work

fresh and to continue giving his best. I’ve lived most of my life in Auckland, and worked there pretty intensively; perhaps Wellington’s winds will help to keep the cobwebs from gathering. And whatever people may say .

about Wellington’s climate I have always found it a very good climate in which to work." He thinks Wellington has tremendous musical possibilities, particularly in the field of chamber music-not (he hastened to add) that that meant Auckland hadn’t. "But a change is as good as a rest, you know."

CURRENT PUNS

-s. — ROADCASTING colleagues of Arthur Pearce call him the most abused man in radio, and what’s more, they say it on, not off, the record. as

listeners to Cotton Eyed Joe’s Rural Delivery (2YD, Thursday even-

ings) can testify. When he is in character as Joe, the more outrageous a pun, the more he likes it-as someone put it recently, "It seems impossible to believe that so much corn could be planted at one sowing." Another of Arthur Pearce’s aliases is "Turntable," and under that signature he has been conducting Rhythm on Record from 2YA for the last 15 years. Wellington jazz experts are inclined to the belief that "Turntable" knows as much about dance band music as the Americans who produce most of it. Certainly his large following is not con-

fined to New Zealand; many Austra‘lians admire his sessions broadcast from Radio New Zealand. By day, however, Arthur Pearce presides over a sobeg desk in the office of a large Wellington firm. ~~ o _

FOR nearly a dozen years Helen Dykes, of Napier, has been conducting Children’s Sessions at 2YZ — at first one session a week and then forethe last five years two weekly. She has also presented many children in musical numbers, a talent quest which drew 1896 votes in ten weeks, quiz sessions, "Twenty Questions," competitions, plays and stories. Miss Dykes also conducts her junior

Deepdene Choir, which has had six successive wins at competitions, and a senior choir of the same name which takes part in local functions. She herself has won vocal championships in competitions at Auckland, Cambridge and Napier. a ae -_

ALEC TEMPLETON, the blind Welsh pianist whose recordings are frequently heard in New Zealand radio programmes, will tour Australia this year

with, it is reported, a visit to New Zealand to follow. He has written many works for piano, orchestra, string combinations and singers, and uses his own compositions in his programmes as well as his favourite works by Debussy, Ravel and Rachmaninoff. Templeton has been a familiar figure in the American musical world since 1935 when he accompanied Jack Hylton to the U.S. to give a series of broadcasts. He has a

touch peculiarly his own-poetic, sensitive and singing — quite unmistakable, and his recordings have given pleasure to many thousands.

BACKROOM BOY

HE man who does the supervising of programmes broadcast by 2YA, 2YC

and 2YD, John Reed, was a member of the Kiwi Concert Party in the Middle East from

1941 to 1943, appearing in sketches, singing, and playing in the stage band. When he returned to New Zealand he wrote Sing As We Go, a description of the activities

of the famous entertainers. With material from the book and items recorded by the New Zealand Broadéasting Unit in the Middle East, two series of radio programmes were made up and broadcast three or four years ago by two of the NZBS stations. John Reed swims in the summer (he was Divisional breaststroke champion in the Middle East) and turns out for indoor basketball in the winter. He has three children-two boys and a girl.