Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 774, 21 May 1954, Page 28

Open Microphone

NEWS OF BROADCASTERS,

ON AND OFF THE RECORD.

By

Swarf

‘JT is 21 years since Malcolm Rickard joined the staff of the old New Zealand Broadcasting Board. Now he has succeeded Allan Young (retired) as Supervisor of Programme Organisation for the NZBS. Discussing early radio work the other day he told me that he

got his first job in December, 1933, announcing 3YA’s first Breakfast Session. Two years later he received a call to Head Office, Wellington, to become Assistant Supervisor of Programmes. Inevitably, with such a surname "as his, he was dubbed "Tex," after the famous fight promoter; but oddly enough the nickname is used only by his colleagues in. the Broadcasting Service. Between 1937 and 1940 Malcolm Rickard took part in radio productions, including Khyber-one of the first New Zealand-produced serials-Egypt’s Gold and Mutiny on the Bounty. He played many comedy parts in live shows presented at the studios established at the Centennial Exhibition .and broadcast by 2YA. These were produced by William Yates (now Director of Broadcasting), with Frank Crowther as Musical Director. In 1940 he was appointed

Programme Organiser at 2YA and in the war years he organised the 2YA Camp Entertainers who played to thousands of troops. When he joined the Broadcasting Service, Mr. Rickard (we drop the "Tex" here) was organist and choirmaster at the Church of St. Michael and the Angels, Christchurch, and subsequently conducted a number of secular choirs. Today he is conductor of the Hutt Valley Orpheus Society, and organist and choirmaster at the Hataitai Methodist Church. His "English Singers" became well known for their broadcasts and public performances over the last six and a half years. Now pressure of work has compelled him to resign direction of that group which is being reformed under the conductorship of Alex Lindsay. There seemed to be no purpose in asking "Tex" (here we take it up again) if he had any hobbies. But he admitted being an "almost fanatical gardener," and he showed as much _ enthusiasm about the science of composting as a Rugby follower at a Saturday night post-mortem. His other hobby is picnicking, and he doubts if there are many nice little spots within 50 miles of Wellington where he hasn’t boiled up the billy for his wife and their nine-years-old daughter Patricia. a,

THEY CHEERED HER COURAGE

na "Music LOVER" (Auckland) asks for a photograph of Galli-Curci and for any available information about the singer. Amelita Galli-Curci, Italian coloratura soprano. was born in Milan on No-

vember 18, 1889. She studied the piano, harmony and composition at the Royal

care of her dogs, kittens and flowers, Conservatory, Milan. As a singer she was self-taught, with the aid of gramophone records of her own voice. For many years a beautiful home in the Catskill Mountains (U.S.A.) was the favourite retreat of the prima donna when her singing season was over. Here she delighted in gardening and taking

and in mountain climbing. In 1930, disturbed by a throat ailment, Galli-Curgj announced her retirement from th Metropolitan. Her farewell perform-

ance took place on January 24, 1930, in The Barber of Seville. She planned a two-years’ world tour in concerts and opera, but in Europe the throat trouble caused cancellation of her engagements. She was operated on for goitre of the throat in 1935. That operation was so successful that Galli-Curci announced that she would soon be ready to return to the opera.. On November 24, 1936, she made her second American debut in Chicago in La Boheme. She was cheered. But some of the critics said that the cheers were not for her performance so much as for her courage. After some additional appearances, Galli-Curci had to adng that her career was over. She came 0 + New Zealand in 1925, and made a return visit in 1932 (accompanied by her pianist and husband, Homer Samuels) and Raymond ‘Williams (flautist).

"FOUGHT LIKE HELL"

F C. ARMSTRONG (Browns Bay, * Auckland), writes: "The Scottish basso William Heughan, some time after his New Zealand tour in 1928, appeared in a London production, the title of which I fail to remember. I have heard nothing of him since, but from his conversation while in Auckland I imagine

he would now teaching singing somewhere — quite likely in America, where he

enjoyed much success. He must be in the middle ‘sixties now. I first met Will in February, 1909, when, as: students, we were accepted for choral work with the Royal Opera Company at Covent Garden. Will was a tall, raw-boned lad of 19, but with his fine voice and enthusiastic acting-most of our work was in the Wagnerian operas -he quick made his mark, and we all agreed oa one day he would ‘arrive.’ Yarning our war experiences in 1928 he madea characteristic remark: ‘I fought like hell!’ Everything Will Heughan ay » tempted he did ‘like hell.’" Isabel Milne Heughan (Mt. Eden, Auckland) writes: "I can throw some light on the subject, as he (William Heughan) is a cousin of my late husband, David Heughan. For some years William has not, to my knowledge, apneared on the concert platform, but has

been actively engaged in looking after the estate of Lady MacRoberts in Aberdeenshire, Scotland." My thanks to these and other correspondents, and the readers who telephoned, for the additional information which should interest the inquirer (A. M. Johnson, of Cheeeeemapeny. NOT long ago I explained, on this page, how Edgar Lustgarten produces his brilliant BBC series Prisoner at the Bar (now going the rounds of the stations). Here is some more personal information about this man of so many parts. Early in the last war a BBC announcer named Brent Wood was asked to counter the antiDOUBLE LIFE British propaganda broadcasts by William Joyce (Lord Haw-Haw). Wood lived a double life and had a dozen names. In the daytime he was a barrister working alongside Hartley Shawcross and Maxwell Fyfe. By night he took parts in radio plays, played records and wrote radio scripts. Brent’s real name was Edgar Lustgarten. Now in his middle forties, Lustgarten was born in Manchester. His ambition was to be a writer but as the son of a lawver he had no objection to following his father’s profession. He was always acutely mindful of the drama of the law; as a broadcaster he had many and varied assignments: as a radio writer he was unexpectedly versatile. The eminent barrister, the late Sir Patrick Hastings. would probably have been shocked to the core to learn that Lustgarten, who occasionally acted as his junior, wrote songs like "Something Must Be Wrong About Love" and "I Gotta Croon the Blues." By the time Lustgarten got to answering the German radio he had had a lot of broadcasting experience, and was soon more than a match for Haw-Haw. When

the war was over he became senior talks producer of the BBC’s Overseas Service. In his leisure he wrote a novel, A Case to Answer and:eventually resigned to concentrate on writing, specialising in crime. *

VIOLINIST TURNS ORGANIST

"M D." (Christchurch) wants to know "something about Ken Griffin, organist. Griffin, born in Columbia, Missouri, was once a violin student, but on hearing the organ decided to go in

for the larger instrument and taught himself. He played

at theatres throughout the Middle West and soon gained a large following. Then when portable organs were available he played in hotel lounges and night clubs. He has recorded many popular song tunes and he is heard frequently on YA and ZB programmes. The Commercial stations sometimes feature Griffin in quarterhour sessions. Sorry, I have not been able to get hold of his photograph. e

MUSIC BEFORE BEER

MILIZA KORJUS (for the information of "Opera Lover," Christchurch) was born in Latvia of Swedish and Russian parents. As far as I know, the soprano, who is often heard on recordings in NZBS programmes, is still singing. As a girl she tried to make her

way as a ballad singer and not only the towns of the Baltic region but Finland

ana Sweden took her up enthusiastically. One evening in Riga, runs the pretty tale, a young German businessman strolling through the streets, read a poster announcing a concert by Miliza Korjus. He went along and sat in the third row. While he was reflecting whether an hour or two in a comfortable beer house would be more interesting Miliza walked on to the stage. Three days later they were engaged to be married. As the young German’s home was in Magdeburg, that city became Miliza’s first home in Germany, and then the path led the singer steeply to the Berlin State Opera. Some years ago, finding it hard to discover a prima

donna who could do justice to the melodies of Johann Strauss, the late Irving Thalberg shelved his production The Great Waltz for some time. By chance he heard a record made by Miliza Korjus, and was so delighted with her voice that, on the strength of that record only, he cabled an offer that took her to California and fame. *

COSMIC

% -] APPY HARRY" (Redcliffs, Christchurch) writes: "During the Second World War our Air Force Band made a

great hit with its playing of "Stardust’-apparently one of its favourite songs. My

wife declares that "Stardust" was composed by Cole Porter; I put my foot down firmly and say Hoagy Carmichael was the composer. Who’s right? You can keep your foot down and stay "happy, Harry."