Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 785, 6 August 1954, Page 24

Open Microphone

VEN in this so-called "man’s world" there’s nowhere so exclusively masculine as a battlefield. Korea being no exception, women travelling there must tread warily. According to the Auckland soprano ‘Dorothy Hopkins (below), an advance-guard is necessary. "When we went swimming," she said, "they had to clear the men out of the Imjin. There were about 10,000 of them, and about two had bathing suits." Mrs. Hopkins toured the Korean battlefronts last year with an NZBS concert party. She found living conditions

rugged, but described the tour generally as fun. "We gave them good music," she said, "and-they liked it. I’ve had. plenty of fan mail since." Now in her middle twenties, Dorvihy Hopkins started piano studies at the age of five, and took up singing seriously at 15. She gained her A.T.C.L. in the piano, and L.T.C.L. in singing, and is now one of the relatively few Fellows of Trinity College, London (F.T.C.L.). For this it was necesary to give a complete programme, ranging from folk songs to oratorio parts. At the same time she studied at Auckland Teachers’ Training College, graduating as a music specialist. She is now a private teacher. after having spent two years as a travel ling music teacher in schools. Apart from her Korean tour, she toured New Zealand for the NZBS in 1951, and has twice toured Auckland country districts for the Community Arts Service. In addition, she has done much broadcasting and a good deal of solo work for various musical societies. She was a leading soloist at Auckland’s Coronation Concert last year. When interviewed by The Listener Mrs. Hopkins was in Wellington to give some studio recitals and to record a programme with the National Orchestra of the NZBS. This latter will be broadcast by all YA stations at 2.0 p.m. on Sundav, August 15. The solo items are "The Wretch Now Thou Knowest." from Don Giovanni, and "God of Love." from The Marriage of Figaro, both by Mozart, and "Softly Sighs.’ from Der Freischutz. by Weber. +.

HE WAS THERE

WHAT sort of a bloke is he? This is the question peovle have been asking about Norris Collins since they heard his seven talks on his visit to Russia broadcast from Main National

stations and read the extracts printed in The Listener. And, "What sort of a

Db1oKe are your $18 in etrect the question we put to Mr. Collins on behalf of listen-

ers. As many may have gathered from his talk about religion in

the Soviet Union, Mr. Collins is very interested in _ his Church, and _ his main. spare time activities are Church activities. "I’m an Anglican and a Diocesan lay-reader, a member of the Christchurch Diocese Public and Social — Affairs Committee, and of the local

Church Committee. and I’m a Sunday School Superintendent," he told us. "Then I’m also Dominion Vice-Presi-dent of the Anglican Bible Class Union and a member of other youth councils and committees, and in my spare time I run a youth club and organise social activities and camps for young people." _ We didn’t see how Mr. Collins could have any spare time for activities of that sort, but while we were thinking that one out he told us that he was born in England and came to New Zealand when he was seven. Now aged 34, he is married and has a nine-year-old son. He works as a boilermaker at the Addington Railway Workshops, where he is a member of the union committee, union representative on the workshop committee, and chairman of the workshop W.E.A. committee. There. too, he has "a couple of other jobs" to keep him busy. At this stage we. hardly liked to ask about recreation, and when we did Mr. Collins admitted he hadn’t much time for it these days. He’d been, he said, a "barely average" Soccer player, though he’d made the First XI at Christchurch Technical College, and once to his sur- . prise hé’d won a handicap cup for ten2 apy. So y %

nis in the local club, where he served — a few years as President. Nowadays, he said, his "spare time" went into his garden, which he found a most satisfying recreation. He was also secretary of the Heathcote Domain Board. He had been a fully qualified film projectionist before joining the railways as an apprentice, and at first kept it up as a hobby and spare time interest; but there was no time for it now. When we asked Mr. Collins how ‘he came to join the delegation that visited Russia he said he was nominated by his union which, with his workmates, looked after his family while he was away.

Later he was selected in a ballot at a meeting of all who supported the delegation. His fare was raised by the organising committee from among well-wishers-there was no official support from the trade union movement. "My nomination was something I’d never dreamed of or expected, though I supported the idea of the delegation," Mr. Collins said. "Within two or three weeks of my nomination I was on the way."

AST December when the National Orchestra broadcast two programmes of music by New Zealand composers, one of the chosen few was Ashley Heenan, and the work-selected was his Cindy-A Square Dance for Strings. Ashley Heenan has been working for the NZBS for over ten years, and at present he is attached to the Concert Section, where part of his job is to look after th® day-to-day wants of such touring celebrities as Leon Goossens, Jan Smeterlin and Bela Siki. In his spare time he has been working on a

project a little nearer to his heart-the preparation of a series of 14 programmes of music by New Zealand composers, performed by New Zealand artists, which will be broadcast from all the YC and YZ stations, and the shortwave station Radio New Zealand, in the next few months. There will be more news about this big series of programmes, and the way they were compiled, in next issue of The Listener. In the meantime we would like to draw your attention to the first of the series, which will be broadcast from 2YC at 7.45 p.m. on Monday, August 9.

KING'S SONG

Pat LL of us from King to commoner, sometime or other, have sung "Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree." It was King George VI who made it famous when he sang it with actions at the annual Duke of York’s Boys’

Camp in 1937. It is doubtful _ whether one in a thousand © people could name_ the

writer, though he was composer or co-writer of about 200 songs, some of them almost: as popular. He was a 42-year-old Irishman, Hamilton Kennedy, who has died in London. He collapsed a few minutes after discussing a new song with his music publisher. His first song-hit was "Ole Faithful," a cowboy song written with Michael Carr in 1933 before he had seen America. Other successes were "Sergeant Sally," "How Can You Buy Killarney?" and "Tina." He spent several years as an outside producer for the BRC. [

J. W.

GOODWIN

(London)

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