Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 32, Issue 816, 18 March 1955, Page 28

Open Microphone

NEWS OF BROADCASTERS," ON AND OFF THE RECORD

PLAYWRIGHT FROM HASTINGS

¢ WAS born in England, the only child of a Buckinghamshire farmer, who was rather more fond of foxhunting than farming, and consequently-and un-fortunately-in time was unable to follow either occupation," writes Harry Osborne, of Hastings, author of The Relentless Servant, the play about William Colenso which is being broadcast next week (see page 7). "At 17 I

followed in the steps of Dick Whittington and went to London Town. Did

not become Lord Mayor; perhaps because I didn’t stay long enough; for after four years, much as I had learned to love London, I decided the country was the life for me . . . Arriving in God’s Own Country I helped look after some of God’s animals appropriated’ by man. After seven years’ work, like a Biblical hero of old, one of my rewards was the receiving of a bride. And for the last 24 years Adam and Eve have laboured in the Garden of Eden, growing fruit on 13 acres of orchard with more good luck than bad." His first earning as an author, Harry Osborne tells us, was seven-and-six for a short story sent to a boys’ magazine when he was 11. "At 19 considered joining the company of Dick. Thack. Dum. etc., and wrote the first chapter of a

novel," he adds. "At. 24-26 did some short stories and two plays. Sincere and beautiful when first written, they soon lost charm and perished miserably by arson." In 1942 he wrote a story for children. His own children liked it so he sent it to a London publisher /without success. During a holiday in England in 1949 he wrote "one long and several shorter poems, mainly on _ English themes." At the foot of his letter Mr. Osborne writes, "Please excuse bad typing. My second attempt on typewriter only. My typist (daughter) absent. Letter took me two hours... " *

FIRST VIOLINIST

"A N amusing diversion during my eight years of study in England," Ritchie Hanna said to us recently, "was a season with Toni’s North Pier Orchestra at Blackpool. We had two sessions a day, seven days a week, and no rehearsals. And considering that the majority of the performances were out-of-doors and that

the repertoire ranged from the Tannhauser Overture to selections from The Dancing Years,

it was pretty tough training." Ritchie Hanna is first violinist in the Alex Lindsay Orchestra, and will be soloist in their broadcast of Marcello’s C Minor Concerto next Sunday, March 27. He was born in Dunedin in 1920 and educated at Otago Boys’ High School. In 1939 he went to England to study at the Royal College on an Associated Boards’ ScholarShip, and arrived in! London one week before the outbreak of war. "Fortunately I was able to complete four years of study with the famous English violinist Albert Sammons, and my fellow-students at the College included Alex Lindsay, Colin Horsley and Donald Munro," he said. He toured extensively with the Bournemouth Philharmonic and National Phi!harmonic Orchestras, and had a London season with the Anglo-Polish Ballet. Then fcllowed two years with E.N.S.A., touring to almost every part of the British Isles, entertaining in service camps and hospitals. In 1945 he joined the Scottish Orchestra’ under Warwick Braithwaite, and stayed through the following year under Walter Susskind.

One concert he remembered particularly was at Glasgow, when the composer Dohnanyi was the solo pianist in his famous Variations on a Nursery Theme, "T returned to New Zealand in 1947 and set about playing and teaching in my home town, Dunedin," he said. | "Maybe it was so much travelling about \ that made me restless. Anyway, for two years I joined the programme staff of the NZBS, but in 1951 resigned to give my full time to music again. I joined’ the Alex Lindsay Orchestra and in 1954 was appointed leader in succession ‘to Ruth Pearl. Last year I also toured New Zealand with the Australian National Opera Company." This week has a special significance for Ritchie Hanna, he told us, for on Saturday, March 19, he is being married to Robin England, leader of the second violins in the Alex Téndeny Orchestra.

THE SECOND TEST

"THE commentators for the second England v. New Zealand Test at Auckland on March 25-30 will be Lance Cross, Colin Snedden and Corbet Woodall. Lance Cross, who is Sports Officer for the NZBS, is probably best known

to listeners for his all-night, ball-by-ball descriptions with Pat Earnshaw of the

New Zealand South African Tests in 195354, though they were about 7000 miles away

from the game. The trick, of course, lay in their realistic reconstruction of the game from cables lying on the desk in front of them. *Lance has played senior cricket over the past 20 years in Wanganui, Hamilton and Palmerston North, and after the war played for the Midland Club in Wellington. He is a particularly strong advocate of scientific coaching and has given considerable service in this line. During his playing career of 25 years, Colin Snedden represented Auckland off and on from 1935 to 1949, and played for New Zealand against England in Auckland in 1947. He bowled right-hand, medium pace off-spinners, He has been ' doing cricket commentaries for the last five years, including Plunket Shield matches and the Tests played in Auckland against the West Indies and South Africa. Corbet Woodall believes in bright cricket. In a game at Woodhall Spa in Lincoln he received one pound’s worth of beer for hitting the ball over the pavilion. This had never been done before though the offer had been open for some years. In that innings he made 49 runs from 10 balls including six consecutive sixes. He made 800 runs in the season but admits he never had another season like it. He | s personally Peter May, having played against him in the under-16 side from Eton when May was

in the same grade from Charterhouse. He has also been coached by Bill Edrich. Mr. Woodall is an announcer at 1XN, Whangarei. *

BANDMASTER

[RIC BALL, the English bandmaster, organist and composer who has been judging the Brass Band Championships

at Auckland, conducts the National Youth Brass Band of Great

Britain in a BBC Bandstand programme

from 2YA next Monday. Mr. Ball, who has _ lectured and conducted ~ in England, Canada and the United States, is visiting this part of the world at the invitation of the three * Salvation Army Territorial Commissions ’ of Australasia. Bris-tol-born, he served

for 24 years in the musical editorial department at Salvation Army International Headquarters, London, and was later appointed bandmaster of the International Staff Band, the Army’s leading band, At present he is editor of The British Bandsman. Mr. Ball has composed over 70 instrumental works and more than 100 songs. He is likely to broadcast from the YC stations in Music Magazine while he is here.

CALLING CAMPBELL ISLAND

"(~REETINGS from Antarctica. Received 2XG from 9 p.m. What possibility request being played at specific time on request session. List

follows if concur. One Gisborneite on island. Appreciate reply.

Campbell Island." Station 2XG received that telegram the other day and sent a hot reply to the colder climate. The Gisborne station is pleased to know that it is not forgotten by friends in faraway places and, in future, 2XG’s Saturday Request Session will be calling Campbell! Island.

SWEDISH BARITONE

\/ HEN South Pacific toured New Zealand last year the leading role of Emile was played by a handsome

Swedish baritone called Richard Collett. While the company was here the NZBS took the op-

portunity of recording Richard Collett singing a number of songs in more classical vein, for this singer was formerly a member of the Swedish Royal Opera. The recordings are now being heard from YC stations, and include songs by Schumann, Tchaikovski, Richard Strauss and Schubert. Richard @ollett was at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm from 1945 to, 1952, except for guest star visits to major opera houses in Denmark,

Germany and Italy. He has also played dramatic parts in Swedish films, given radio concerts in Scandinavia and other European countries, and» made concert appearances in Europe and the

United States. He is six feet one inch tall, a great athlete, and has held for the past five years the King’s Golden Tennis Cup of Sweden.