Open Microphone

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 889, 17 August 1956, Page 20

Open Microphone

NEWS OF | BROADCASTERS ON AND OFF THE RECORD

ORGANIST

ECENTLY a new organist and choirmaster was appointed to Wellington’s ProCathedral of St. Paul’s. He is Stanley Jackson (above), a newcomer to Wellington, who has been heard by many listeners in broadcasts from the chapel of St. Peter’s School, Cambridge. For 13 years Mr.

Jackson was the school’s ‘music-master, and _ his broadcasts with choir

and organ made it well known throughout the country. To the hundreds of music students invading St. Peter’s each January, Mr. Jackson was a familiar figure. He coached the choir and gave organ instruction. To his new appointment-which he combines with the position of musicmaster at Hutt Valley High SchoolMr, Jackson brings tremendous enthusiasm and a deep knowledge of English Church music. In 1949 he spent a year in England on a refresher course at the Royal School of Church Music at Canterbury. The Royal School was founded in 1927, and one of its aims is to keep alive the highest traditions of English Church music-a body of music whose noble proportions are unique in the world. Recently Mr. Jackson told us he now hoped to be able to foster the aims and ideals of the Royal School further. Its influence is gradually extending all over the world, but here in New Zealand it is only beginning. He was very pleased to find several Wellington choirs already affiliated to it, and has high hopes that many other choirs will find it worthwhile to join-particularly country choirs which the School could help most of all. What are the advantages of joining? "The help and guidance given by the R.S.C.M. is practical and encouraging." Mr. Jackson said. "They can help choirs in choosing music suitable to their abilities, and they can arrange for the music to be made available to them." Music sent out by the society goes as far afield as China and Africa. Springing from these affiliations is another idea that Mr, Jackson hopes to be able to realise some day-‘"a req} church choir festival," when all the choirs belonging ‘to the society would come into the city for a day of music-making. At Hutt Valley High School Mr. Jackson has had The Pirates of Penzance under production, and we recently found he was a very willing guinea-pig

at a Wellington Youth Concert: His wife is also a trained musician, especially interested in church music, and they have a 10-year-old daughter. Within the next few years, Mr. Jackson will lose his present church, as St. Paul’s is to be demolished, though some of its essential features. are to be incorported in the new Cathedral. +

ASSISTANT

ON our necessary perambulations about Wellington to visit the various offices and studios of the NZBS, one of our "happiest calls has always been on the Supervisor of Women’s Hour Programmes for the Commercial Divi-

sion, Elsie Lloyd, and her assistant. The assistant for the past two

years has been Valerie Spencer. At the end of July, however, Valerie, who for some time now has been Mrs. William Austin, retired into private life, and her successor is 22-year-old Claire Mazengarb. Claire first joined the NZBS last year as Miria’s assistant at 2ZB.

Besides running this year’s Easter Bride Session, and taking over Women’s Hour when called upon, she has also relieved at 3XC and 1XN. Claire was educated at Queen Margaret College, Wellington, and is one of the most enthusiastic members of its Old Girls’ Association. Later she continued her studies at Victoria University College, and also gained her Licentiate in Speech from Trinity College, London, Naturally, she is very keen on acting and belongs to the Wellington Repertory Theatre and the Shakespeare Society. Outdoors. she swims and plays tennis in summer, and in winter admits to handling a novice’s niblick, s O cricket enthusiasts all over the world John Arlott is a prince of commentators, whose amusing, human asides bring the Test match sceneand not only the play-very much to life. An example in the Fourth Test was "the man in front of us using the cold as an excuse to keep his arm round his girl." We were interested to read (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) the other day that in his leisure and tastes John shows a not surprising affection for the substantial and the unchanging. "My money," he says, ’ pointing to his bookshelves, "goes mostly on those, I’m afraid." "Those" are one of the finest collections in England of late 18th century volumes on the topography of the British Isles, John, by the way, is married and has two boys. pa}

CONDUCTOR

"ns S soldier or civilian, Richard Lawson, who is now music specialist teacher at Greymouth Technical High School, and conductor of "the Greymouth Ladies’ Choral Group, has been actively associated with music for most

_ eae of his life. Mr. Lawson, who will conduct ‘the Greymouth Ladies’ Choral Group from 3YZ on August 20, was born in Liverpool and, joining the British Army as a bandboy, had his

musical education at the Royal Military School of Music, Knel-

ler Hall. "I was appointed Bandmaster Royal of the Ulster Rifles in 1939," he says, "but when the war came I gave up music for more active soldiering." Mr. Lawson saw service in India, Burma and New Guinea, and after the war came to New Zealand, where he settled in the Nelson district. While fruit-farm-ing there he formed the Hills Choir, and with them took part in many Nelson Provincial Choirs Festivals, In 1954, before moving to Greymouth, he was Musical Director of the Festival. +

S far back as 1941 we ran an item about Iris Norgrove which mentioned that though then only 19 she had not only gained ‘a reputation among_ Auckland’s younger singers, but was also a good pianist and a competent performer on the Wurlitzer organ. The latest news of Iris-who began her career at 1YA and will be remembered as an organist at the Auckland Civic Theatre-is that she has been engaged to play entr’actes at a. leading Melbourne theatre. A’ 3DB announcer who interviewed her recently said Iris was the first woman she had heard of who could play the Wurlitzer and sing at the same time. In Australia for an indefinite stay, Iris likes Melbourne so much that she is thinking of settling there, and as soon as she can find a house will take her three children there from New Zealand.